Frequently Asked Questions

Thought of a question for the ASO? Below are frequently asked questions about attending our concerts, purchasing tickets, etc. If you don’t find an answer to your question, please contact us at 205.251.7727 or ericker@alabamasymphony.com
We’d love to hear from you!

1. What is classical music?
2. Will I recognize any music?
3. I use a wheelchair or have difficulty hearing – can I attend concerts?
4. What is the difference between all of your series?
5. Are there ticket discounts available?
6. Can I exchange my tickets?
7. Suppose I lose my tickets?
8. Who can I contact with questions, comments, or concerns?
9. What are ‘Concert Comments’?
10. Are there free concerts I can attend?
11. How can I make a donation to the Alabama Symphoy Orchestra?
12. What if I arrive late?
13. When is it appropriate to applaud?
14. What if someone needs to contact me during a performance?
15. Can I bring my camera?
16. Are there children's concerts offered?
17. Can I eat or drink in the concert hall?
18. Where can I find directions to the venues?
19. Is there convenient parkng?
20. Does the ASO play any holiday concerts?
21. How can I volunteer with the symphony?

1. What is classical music?
The term "classical music" can represent anything from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony to a Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto. Generally, classical music is played by a symphonic ensemble comprised of strings (violins, violas, cellos and basses), woodwinds (clarinets, oboes, flutes and bassoons), brass (trumpets, horns, trombones and tubas) and percussion (timpani, other drums, mallet instruments, etc.), or some combination thereof.

2. Will I recognize any music?
We think you'll recognize far more than you realize. Many of today's popular songs, television shows and commercials, and movies include or are derived from classical themes. Even programs like cartoons and sporting events often feature classical music.

3. I use a wheelchair or have difficulty hearing – can I attend concerts?
Wheelchair seating is available upon request at the Box Office. Special tickets are issued for these areas; please let our Box Office representatives help you. Headsets for the audio system are available free of charge at the Alys Stephens Center. To obtain this assisted listening device, please visit the Alys Stephens Box Office in the upper lobby prior to the performance. 

4. What is the difference between all of your series?
The Alabama Symphony Orchestra has music to suit everyone’s taste!  The REGIONS MASTERWORKS series is a series of ten concerts that feature the major composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, and Verdi; it also features some lesser-known composers such as Torke and Schwertsik.  These concerts occur on Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m.  The COFFEE CONCERTS are Friday mornings at 11a.m.  These concerts are abbreviated versions of the evening Masterworks performances.  They are ideal for high school students, our retired patrons, and others who want to attend concerts during the day.  The SYMPHONY 7: The Classical Edge concerts are on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m..  These concerts, geared toward the professional after-work crowd and other young adults, feature programmed evenings of fun, themed music introduced and discussed from the stage by the conductor.  After the SYMPHONY 7 concert is the official after-party at the B&A Warehouse – your ticket stub gets you in free!  Come rub shoulders with the conductor, some musicians, and your fellow music lovers!  MONTEVALLO concerts are on Friday evenings at 7 p.m. at the University of Montevallo in Palmer Hall.  These concerts are light-hearted themed evenings of fun music with lively banter from the conductor.  Our CONCERTMASTER AND FRIENDS series is quickly becoming a hit!  This series is a set of four chamber music concerts featuring our stellar concertmaster Daniel Szasz.  These concerts are Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. at Samford University in Brock Recital Hall.  The RED DIAMOND FAMILY CONCERTS are a fun way to introduce the music you love to the people you love!  These concerts are on Sunday afternoons at 2:30 p.m..  Come early for an hour of pre-concert activities for the kids in the lobby at 1:30 p.m., and leave with your very own activity booklet filled with concert-related activities, games, puzzles, and more!  The ALABAMA SYMPHONY POPS! concerts, are a lively way to enjoy an evening of music with the whole family!  This series features six concerts of film music, popular music, broadway music, and so much more for music lovers of all generations!  These concerts are Friday evenings at 8 p.m. at the BJCC Concert Hall.  The COMPASS BANK SOUNDS FOR SUMMER series is our popular four-week summer concert series in Caldwell Park off Highland Avenue.  This summer series is always upbeat with an assortment of beverages and boxed dinners available – our patrons bring their picnic basket and listen to good music under the stars on these Friday evenings beginning at 8p.m.  The YOUNG PEOPLE’S CONCERTS are a series for school children, their parents and teachers to be exposed to orchestral music – possibly for the very first time!  Upon making their reservations, teachers receive a teacher guide with composer biographies, lesson plans, and more useful tools to prepare their students for the concert experience.  These concerts definitely fit our motto to “change lives through music!”  Brand new to this year’s line-up is the OPEN REHEARSAL SERIES where patrons get the chance to sit in on a working rehearsal and observe the process by which the conductor and musicians prepare for their Masterworks concerts!  What a rare chance to catch a glimpse of some behind-the-scenes action of the orchestra at work! 

5. Are there ticket discounts available?
Yes! The ASO offers: SUBSCRIBER DISCOUNTS: subscribers receive a 15% discount toward the purchase of single tickets to any ASO performance in a concert series. Please request your discount at the time of purchase. Discount is valid through the ASO Box Office only. Call 205-251-7727. GROUP DISCOUNTS: A 10% discount is available on single ticket purchases for groups of 10 or more. For more details, contact the Box Office at 205-251-7727. STUDENT ‘RUSH’ TICKETS: Students can purchase a ticket to performances for $7 (Compass Bank Sounds for Summer and special event concerts excluded). Discount is available ONLY one-half hour prior to the concert and is based on availability. 

6. Can I exchange my tickets?
An ASO subscription ticket never loses its value! If a ticket date is inconvenient for you, simply call Subscriber Services at 205-314-6912 before that concert and exchange your ticket for any ASO concert in any series that suits your schedule. Exchanges must be received by 2 p.m. on the day of the concert. Exchanges from concerts that have already occurred will not be accepted. If a ticket exchange doesn’t work for you, please donate the tickets back to the ASO by calling Subscriber Services before the concert. We’ll mail you a donation receipt for the full value of your tickets, which is deductible to the extent allowed by law. We regret that no refunds can be issued on subscription or single ticket purchases. All sales are final. 

7. Suppose I lose my tickets?
NO PROBLEM - We can have a new set waiting at the ‘Will Call’ table on the evening of your scheduled concert. Just give us a call at 205-314-6912.

8. Who can I contact with questions or concerns?
The ASO's Ticket Office staff is ready to answer any questions you may have. There are three simple ways to reach us. Simply give us a call at 205.251.7727 weekdays from 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., send us an e-mail at ericker@alabamasymphony.com, or stop by the box office at 3621 6th Avenue South in Birmingham, at the corner of 6th Avenue South and 37th Street. Our mailing address is 3621 6th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35222.

9. What are ‘Concert Comments’?
Every Regions Masterworks concert is preceded by ‘Concert Comments’, an informational discussion of each night’s program, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Reynolds-Kirschbaum Recital Hall at the Alys Robinson Stephens Center.  Here, the evening’s conductor will present information pertaining to the composers and pieces of the evening and give some insight into his or her interpretation of the music.  This is a wonderful opportunity for our patrons to learn more about the music they will be enjoying! 

10. Are there free concerts I can attend?
Yes!  The ASO plays free concerts at the Botanical Gardens in the fall and spring each year.  The Symphony Spooktacular concert is part of the “Boo at the Zoo” Halloween festivities at the Birmingham Zoo and is free to the public.  The ASO celebrates our mothers with a free concert at the Summit shopping center and at Chelsea Park on Mother’s Day weekend. 

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11. How can I make a donation to the Alabama Symphony Orchestra?
As art builds community, it also takes community to build art. Birmingham has supported its Alabama Symphony Orchestra for over 70 years, helping it grow into a stable and dynamic organization. To make your donation, please contact Trish Hoover at 205.314.6936 or thoover@alabamasymphony.com.

12. What if I arrive late?
Performances begin promptly as scheduled. As a courtesy to performers and audience, patrons arriving after the start of the performance will not be seated until a natural break in the music. If you must leave the hall while a performance is in progress, please do so quietly. Re-entry is at the discretion of the House Manager. 

13. When is it appropriate to applaud?
The audience will applaud to welcome the conductor when he or she walks out onto the stage. It is considered respectful of the musicians’ concentration to withhold applause between movements of a piece, and to applaud only at the end of the entire composition. At the end of a piece, often soloists and the conductor will walk on and off the stage a number of times during applause. It is supportive of you to keep clapping until they have made their final exit from the stage. The audience may also stand (a “standing ovation”) if the performance is truly outstanding. 

14. What if someone needs to contact me during a performance?
Emergency contact service is available for physicians and other patrons during ASO performances. Simply check your pager with the Box Office or House Manager’s office, leaving your name and seat location. We ask that all electronic devices with alarms or ringers (pagers, phones, watches, etc.) be turned off during performances.

15. Can I bring my camera?
Please . . . all cameras and recording devices are strictly prohibited at all Alabama Symphony Orchestra performances. 

16. Are there children's concerts offered?
Yes!  Please read more about the Family Concert Series and the Young People’s Concert series for specific information on the children’s concerts!  Children also love our summer concerts at Caldwell Park (Sounds for Summer series) and the free concerts at the Birmingham Zoo and Botanical Gardens! 

17. Can I eat or drink in the concert hall?
No eating, drinking or smoking is allowed during the performance. If you are suffering from a cough, the discreet unwrapping and sucking of a cough drop is appropriate.

18. Where can I find directions to the venues?
Below are links for driving directions to the Alys Robinson Stephens Center, BJCC Concert Hall, and the University of Montevallo. Simply click below for directions.  
Alys Stephens Center  
BJCC 
Montevallo

19. Is there convenient parkng?
Parking for concerts varies depending on the venue.  Our VIP donors receive parking passes for their convenience.  Please contact the venue to discuss parking options prior to attending an event. 

Thanks for your interest in the ASO. See you at the Concert Hall!