Recital Etiquette

What to wear

Performers should dress formally. Girls should wear a nice dress or something similar, boys should wear dress pants and a dress shirt. Ties are encouraged but not required.

Arrival

Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the recital begins. If your child is performing, you may wish to arrive up to 30 minutes early so the child can have a chance to play on stage before the recital begins.

Please do not be late. Once the recital is in progress, it is very disruptive for the performers when you enter. If you arrive late despite your best efforts, please enter during audience applause, not during a performance.

Applause

It is proper to applaud twice for each performer. Please applaud as each student takes the stage, and then again when each student is completely finished with all of his or her pieces and has risen to take a bow. In the classical music world, it is considered poor etiquette to applaud between individual pieces.

Performing

Each student is expected to bow before and after his or her performance.

Leaving the recital

Good etiquette dictates that you stay for the entire recital. If you have an urgent schedule conflict and must leave early, please ask permission from the teacher well ahead of time. Students who leave early without permission will have to answer for their behavior at their next lesson.

Videos and Photos

No flash photography is allowed, as it is very distracting to the performers. Other photography and video recording is encouraged as long as it does not disrupt the performers in any way.