Frequently Asked Questions
General
The Western Piedmont Symphony Administration and Box Offices are located at 243 Third Avenue NE, Hickory NC 28601, in the Performing Arts Wing on the north side of the main Arts & Sciences Building on the SALT Block Campus.
Each concert program varies in length. Masterworks and Pops concerts run approximately 2 hours. Chamber Series concerts run approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Our box office opens one hour prior to the concert start time. Doors to the hall and seating for all concerts begins 30 minutes prior to the concert. We encourage you to arrive 30-40 minutes early. Please arrive no later than 15 minutes prior to the concert start time. Concerts begin promptly at the scheduled time. Latecomers will be seated at a natural break in the music, guided by ushers. If you must leave the hall during the performance, please do so quietly. Re-entry while the concert is in progress is at the discretion and guidance of the ushers.
At this time, we do not offer coat check at any of our venues.
Family and outdoor Pops concerts welcome all ages. Children ages 6-17 are welcome to attend all Western Piedmont Symphony performances with proper guardian supervision and concert etiquette. $5-10 student tickets are available for children and students with valid student ID.
Free parking, including handicapped accessibility, is available at each venue. Please visit Plan Your Visit for more information.
As a general guideline, dress at symphonic performances ranges from casual to dressy. Please be comfortable at our concerts. We invite you to dress up if you’d like to make it a special night out, but nice casual dress is perfectly suitable.
- We ask you to applaud to welcome the conductor when he or she walks out onto the stage.
- It is customary to hold your applause until all movements of a work are complete. A movement is a division of a larger composition or musical form. For example, symphonies are typically divided into four movements and concertos into three. You can check your program to follow the movements. A good indication that a work has finished is when the conductor turns around and smiles at the audience. However, if you feel the urge to applaud between movements, please do so! During our Pops concerts in particular, people applaud freely throughout.
- At the end of a concert, we always encourage you to applaud loudly and to yell "bravo!" (for men), "brava!" (for women) and "bravi!" (for the whole orchestra). Keep the applause going for as long as you want to show the musicians, conductor and soloist how much you enjoyed their performance.
Please feel free to take pictures WITHOUT A FLASH during the concert and share with us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat or Twitter. We just ask that you stay mindful of your neighbors. Cell phone screens can be very distracting so do not use your cell phones to text or call anyone during the concert.
Due to copyright laws, audio and video recording devices are strictly prohibited inside the concert hall.
Your personal preference will dictate where you think is the best place to sit. Both main-floor and balcony seating in the Drendel Auditorium allow for excellent listening and viewing. Main floor seating is available in P.E. Monroe Auditorium.
Yes, each venue is handicapped accessible and other accessible seating is available by request at all concerts. Please call the office at 828-324-8603 for more information.
You may call the Western Piedmont Symphony Box Office at 828-324-8603 and request that a season brochure will be mailed to you. Staff members are pleased to talk with you about the different subscription packages available. You may subscribe by phone (828-324-8603), fax (828-324-1301), email ([email protected]/wps) or online (www.page.builders/wps/tickets).
Contact Ingrid Keller, Executive Director, at 828-324-8603, ext.22, to learn more about becoming a donor for the Western Piedmont Symphony.
The difference in price is based upon the seating section in each venue and whether the price is for a student or adult. Student prices are available for children and students with valid ID. Some universities subscribe to our Student Access Plan. Students at these universities are admitted free to all Masterworks and Chamber Classics concerts.
Tickets can be purchased at the Western Piedmont Symphony Box Office, online through Arts People, by phone, FAX, or in person. The Box Office number is 828-324-8603. We will take your order and and either mail your tickets or hold them at Will Call for pick up on the night of the concert. Box Office hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. The office is located in the Performing Arts Wing on the north side of the main Arts & Sciences Building on the SALT Block Campus at 243 Third Avenue NE in Hickory. Tickets can also be purchased 24/7 through our website (via Arts People) at www.page.builders/wps/tickets. Single tickets will be sold one hour before each concert at the concert location.
Yes! For groups of 10 or more, please call or email the Western Piedmont Symphony office at 828-324-8603 or [email protected]/wps.
Exchanges are only available to subscribers and are subject to availability. Ticket refunds are not available. Patrons unable to use their tickets for a performance are urged to return them to the ticket office for resale up to one hour before scheduled performance. A tax credit for returned tickets can be issued if requested. We accept Visa, MasterCard, checks and cash.
If subscriber misplaces tickets, they can be replaced at no cost by calling the Western Piedmont Symphony office.
Please feel free to call our office at 828-324-8603. We are happy to help our first-time concert goers.
Streaming
- Check your internet connection.
- Access to the internet is required to watch the performance.
- Check your internet speed.
- We recommend paying for download speeds of at least 15 Mbps for each device that you plan to use at the same time. You can check your internet speed by using the Ookla Speedtest or Google’s Speedtest.
- Make sure your device, browser, and apps are up to date.
Still having problems? Check below, or contact us at (828) 324-8603.
Yes! All of our live stream performances are ticketed events. Go to our web page under the Events tab to find the Virtual Ticket you wish to purchase.
After your order is placed, you will be taken to a confirmation page with a summary of your order. From there you may access the Virtual Event with the Digital Pass button. You will also receive an order confirmation email from [email protected]/wps In that email, look for the box that says “Access Online Event”, which also is the link you can use to access the concert. Remember: The access code is limited to one IP address at a time. Do not click the link yet if it is not the place or on the device you want to watch the live stream.
If you have not received a confirmation email within 10 minutes of your order, check your spam/junk folders, and make sure you have “[email protected]”, “[email protected]/wps” or “[email protected]/wps” in your address book. If you still cannot find your ticket confirmation email, please contact us at (828) 324-8603.
You can view the live stream on any device that can connect to the internet: a cell phone, a tablet, a computer, or even a TV* as long as you can connect to your email.
(*For instructions on how to watch the performance on your TV, please see “How do I view the performance on my TV?” below)
There are multiple ways to view the virtual performance on a TV (see below), though most require access to a web browser, and therefore, an internet connection.
We recommend testing your preferred method with your access link prior to the start of the live stream for a stress-free viewing experience – you can test this anytime and you will see a countdown timer up until the live stream begins on concert day but be aware your virtual ticket is valid for one viewing device only. (See “Can I view the live stream on multiple devices?” below)
For instruction on how to stream to your TV, see device specifics below:
Laptop with an HDMI cable: To connect a laptop to a TV with HDMI, just plug an HDMI cable into the HDMI port on each of the devices. If you purchased your television within the last ten years, chances are very good it has an HDMI port. If your laptop doesn’t have an HDMI port, you’ll need an adapter.
Apple TV/Airplay: You must use an Apple device (iPhone, iPad, Mac computer) to connect to your Apple TV.
First, it is recommended that you open and begin watching the video on your selected Apple device. Then, open and log in to Apple TV on your TV.
Make sure both your Apple devices are on the same WiFi network, and then click the airplay icon.
Depending on your device, the airplay icon may appear in a different location. If you don’t see the icon, try maximizing the video screen. Once you’ve tapped the airplay icon, select your Apple TV device. If an AirPlay passcode appears on your TV screen, enter the passcode on your device when prompted.
For additional help with Apple TV, please view the Apple Support article here.
Smart TV: If your TV has a web browser app, it is recommended to log into your email account first on your TV. Next, open the email containing your show specific link and click the button link to watch. This should open a new window, pulling in your unique access code and the video player. The video should start automatically, if not, click play.
LG Smart TV: Please click here and follow the prompts on the LG website for specific instructions on how to stream to your LG Smart TV.
Amazon Fire Stick: In order to watch on with your Amazon Fire Stick, you must first download the free browser, Amazon Silk.
- Download App: https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-com-Amazon-Silk-Web-Browser/dp/B01M35MQV4
- Using this browser, log into your email and open the show specific link and click the button link to watch. (You may need to click the request desktop site in the top menu to read the whole email.)
- Allow the browser to leave the page.
- This should open a new window, pulling in your unique access code and the video player. The video should start automatically, if not, click play.
Roku: First, make sure both your mobile device and Roku device are on the same WiFi network. In order to watch on your Roku device, you must first download the following app on your mobile device for $4.99 and follow these steps:
- Download App: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/150902/mirror-for-roku
- Add the Mirror for Roku channel to your Roku device and then open the channel.
- On your mobile device, open the Mirror for Roku app and mirror your device to your Roku device.
- Open the link from your email in your mobile browser, rotate your device, and click play to watch it full screen. Turn the volume off on your mobile device to enjoy!
Chromecast: Chromecast only works for viewing the performance if you are using an Android device. You will need a Chromecast, Chromecast Ultra, or TV with Chromecast built-in.
- Make sure your cell phone or tablet is on the same Wi-Fi network as your Chromecast device.
- Open the Google Home app.
- Tap the device you want to cast your screen to.
- Tap Cast my screen > “Cast screen.
Ticket links are valid for one viewing device and one IP address at a time.
If you’d like to watch on multiple devices, you’ll need to purchase additional tickets.
Each live stream will begin at 7:00 PM on the concert day, with the concert beginning at 7:30 PM. It will be available for streaming till Sunday evening at Midnight after the performance.
Unfortunately, no; Western Piedmont Symphony’s virtual performances need to be streamed via a reliable internet connection.
First check to make sure you have typed the code in correctly.
If the code is correct but it still won’t let you in, it may have already been used in the last hour and will be locked until that hour is up. Wait one hour and try again. The live stream will be available until Sunday evening at Midnight after the performance.
If you are viewing on a mobile device, you may be prompted to push a PLAY button to start the stream. If your stream is still not working, please try restarting your web browser or closing the view window on mobile and clicking on the link again.
If a window asking for your access code does not appear, this indicates that you may have a pop-up blocker on. Please turn off your pop-up blocker, and refresh the browser to try again.
Additionally, you will want to make sure your browser is up to date! Check for software updates prior to the concert on your device.
Know your internet speed – streaming video can be challenging without fast internet service. As a rule of thumb, we recommend paying for download speeds of at least 15 Mbps for each device that you plan to use at the same time.
You can check your internet speed by using the Ookla Speedtest or Google’s Speedtest.
Virtual performances are accessible on any internet-connected device (computer, tablet, or cell phone) and can be viewed by opening the link provided in the confirmation email in any web browser app.
Please contact our office directly at (828)-324-8603 for any troubleshooting or issues with the virtual performance. Normal Office hours are Monday-Friday from 10 am to 4 pm.
On performance days (Saturdays) the office phone line will be open for questions and troubleshooting from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
If your question or problem is not addressed on this page, please contact us at (828) 324-8603. We are available to answer your questions between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM, Monday – Friday.