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!
