Our main symphonic concerts at Thayer Academy’s Center for the Arts (Braintree) last roughly 1 hour and 45 minutes, with a brief intermission. Concerts begin at 7:30 pm and are usually over by 9:15–9:20 pm.

Chamber and solo concerts generally last an hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) to an hour and 30 minutes (90 minutes). These concerts usually include a brief intermission.

Our annual Sunset at the Abbey concert (Glastonbury Abbey, Hingham) traditionally runs from 4:30 to around 6:00 pm.

Classical Uncorked and Classical On Tap dinner concerts begin at 5:00 pm, with music program from 5:30 to 6:45 or so. We are usually finished by 7:00 pm.

Parking is free and onsite at all our regular venues.

Sometimes, a dinner venue will have nearby parking, instead, or offer valet parking (which is always optional).

Please note:Thayer Academy Center for the Arts has a fairly large parking lot, but it can become tight for our most popular concerts (Opening Night, Joyful Noise! and Season Finale: Pops!). For these concerts, you might find you need to park in another campus parking lot, or on the street (free). — Parking across the street at Thayer Library is subject to the discretion of the City of Braintree. Please plan for extra time on these concert nights. If you have someone with limited mobility, you might want to come early or drop passengers at the door before parking.

If we perform in a special venue that does not have its own parking, we will include parking information on the event page on our website.

We are fortunate to have an absolutely top-notch hospitality bar available, thanks to our sponsor, Bin Ends Wine.

Wine and non-alcoholic beverages are available at the bar during pre-concert and intermission reception periods at our symphonic and chamber concerts*. (Our Masterworks After Hours concert includes a fun post-concert reception with the musicians.) Donations of $5 for wine; $3 for a non-alcoholic option are welcomed for the benefit of the orchestra.

Water is also available.

At this time, we do not sell food. We provide some light fare during reception times as a courtesy, at no charge. (If you have a nut or food allergy, please be aware that some reception offerings might contain allergens and not be suitable for you.)

*Sunset at the Abbey (Glastonbury Abbey, Hingham) does not include a reception or wine bar but you are welcome to bring a picnic!

The short answer is no. Please feel comfortable coming as you are. Really.

That said, we understand it’s often nice to know “what’s expected,” so here are some insights…

Opening Night tends to be the “fanciest” concert of the season, since we’re celebrating the start of another season after the summer hiatus — you can expect to see more people than usual coming “dressed up” for the evening. Joyful Noise! is a holiday concert and you’ll see more families, some large groups, and a wide range of dress, from suit-and-tie to “ugly holiday sweaters” — red, green, blue, and gold are in full force! People dress for comfort most for Masterworks concerts in January and March, and concertgoers at our Season Finale: Pops! concert in the spring bring a relaxed style of “looking nice” to cap off the season.

Hope that helps.

Please do bring children who are ready! A growing number of people are bringing their children and teens — which we love!

We don’t have “rules” about age. Every child is different, and you know your child better than we do. We post age recommendations for concerts with special student/family offers, to help you decide. We base these recommendations on the setting and the musical program for the concert.

A few notes for parents of young children: If your children are ready to come to ASO, please bring them. We have some regular audience members who are young children, who love the music, and do a great job! However… Please know that we expect children are “ready to listen” — which means they can settle into the environment well enough not to distract other audience members. (We hold the right to relocate guests who disturb others, if necessary, although we haven’t run into that.) We don’t allow cell-phones or other kinds of screen use during concerts — it’s very distracting to others and to the musicians. If you have a child who is “borderline ready” (some days they are, some days not), we have balcony seats which are great seats you might consider. They give you a bit more space and flexibility, and a quick way out, in case your little one needs a break or you need to leave during a performance. And they’re less expensive than other seating, which makes leaving early a little less painful. Don’t feel guilty staying for only the first half of a concert… it’s still a wonderful experience to share.

Our Sunset at the Abbey concert is great for kids, by the way. It’s outside with plenty of room to run around before the concert, or get a quiet walk away with a guardian if needed. And you get to bring your own picnic!

Yes.

Hale Theater at Thayer Academy’s Center for the Arts (our main concert hall in Braintree) is fully accessible, including an elevator to the balcony level. There are dedicated wheelchair spaces and dedicated seating for people with walkers or mobility issues. (Please call to reserve these seats and spaces. They are colored yellow on our seating charts and cannot be reserved online, in order to keep them available for guests who need them.) Restrooms are also wheelchair ready. Handicapped parking is close to the door.

Our Hingham venues (Hingham House of Prayer, the lawn at Glastonbury Abbey, and (occasionally) Old Ship Church) are also handicapped accessible, with handicapped parking near the door. Tickets are general seating; handicapped seating and wheelchair space are available.

We consider accessibility when choosing restaurants and other venues as well.

Please call us at 781-331-3600 or email info@atlanticsymphony.org

Our regular office hours are T–F, 10:00am–2:00pm, during the performance season. If we are not able to answer your call, please leave a message. We return all calls, usually within 24 hours (not including weekends).

Please note that the office is closed on weekends, Mondays, and during school vacations and holidays.