What Should I Expect?

You may find the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions helpful in making your Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra concert experience more enjoyable.

Where can I purchase concert and event tickets?

The easiest thing to do is to call our offices between the hours of 9AM-5PM, Monday-Friday, and speak to one of our gracious staff in person.   The office phone number is (218) 233-8397.  You may also drop by our offices, located at 810 4th Avenue South, Suite 250, Moorhead, Minnesota.  We are on the second floor of the Townsite Center.  You may also purchase tickets to concerts online.  Click here to do that. 

Where are concerts performed?

Our Masterworks Series is performed at North Dakota State University's Festival Concert Hall, located in the Reineke Fine Arts Center.  Our Family Series, including the Pizza Pop concert, Holiday Pops concerts, and our Family Concerts, are held at Memorial Auditorium at Concordia College, and at the Fargo Theatre in downtown Fargo.  Our Chamber Series is held at Christiansen Recital Hall at Concordia College, and at Saint Joseph Church in Moorhead.  Be sure to check the "Directions and Parking" section of this website for detailed directions to the concert hall.

What should I wear?

Our best advice is to wear whatever is most comfortable for you. Many may choose a coat and tie for Masterworks and Chamber Series concerts, but many others choose slacks and a sweater. Family Series concerts tend to be more informal, with plenty of sneakers and jeans mixed in. Whatever you do, just come. We'll be pleased to see you at the Symphony.

When should I arrive?

We try our best to begin all concerts on time. To help reduce noises in the concert hall which distract musicians and audience members, the beginning of most performances contain a pause to accommodate the seating of late arrivals. We also permit seating in between pieces, during applause.  Unfortunately, some programs have no late seating due to the structure of a particular piece of music being performed. If you would like to know in advance about latecomer seating, please call the FMSO offices at 218-233-8397. You may be interested in attending our "Informances", the Pre-Concert Talk prior to each Masterworks concert.

What and when are the "Informances"?

Music Director Bernard Rubenstein, Director of the Division of Fine Arts Dr. John Miller, and our featured guest soloist lead "Informances," insightful discussions about the program prior to each Masterworks concert. The discussions begin inside Beckwith Recital Hall (directly adjacent to Festival Concert Hall) at 7:15 p.m. on Saturday evening, and at 1:15 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, and last approximately 25 minutes, leaving time to relax and socialize before the performance.

How long are concerts?

Program lengths vary, but Masterworks concerts often run approximately 2 to 2 1/4 hours. Family concerts are usually about 60-80 minutes. Chamber concerts are usually about 1 3/4 to 2 hours. Most Masterworks and Chamber concerts (but not all!) include a 15-minute intermission. If you want to know the length of a specific concert, call the FMSO offices at 218-233-8397.

When do I clap?

Many orchestral works, particularly symphonies or concerti, have three or more sections, known as movements, each followed by a brief pause. Generally, due to a tradition that has evolved over time, audience members refrain from clapping until the end of a piece. At the concert, turn to the program page in your program book to see how many movements (often indicated by tempo markings in Italian) each piece contains. After the last movement, feel free to applaud enthusiastically.

What if I have to cough while the music is being performed?

To help reduce distractions and to enhance the concert-going experience for everyone, Ricola provides complimentary cough suppressant tablets to patrons. The cough drops can be found in dispensers in the Festival Concert Hall Lobby.

May I take photos or record the concert?

Sorry, but cameras, as well as other recording devices, can create major distractions for musicians and fellow audience members; therefore, no still, video or sound recording devices of any kind are permitted in the concert hall.

May I bring my cell phone to be contacted in case of an emergency?

Please speak with a box-office staff member or FMSO staff on duty in the lobby of Festival Concert Hall before the performance begins if anticipated emergency notification might be required. To reduce distractions in the hall, patrons wearing alarm watches or carrying cellular phones or electronic paging systems are requested to turn them off before the performance begins.

May I bring my children to a concert?

Children of an appropriate age and maturity level are welcome to enjoy the music of the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra. Please be considerate of fellow audience members when deciding whether to bring your child to a performance. Every child, regardless of age, must have a ticket to enter the concert hall.

Subscriber Exchanges

Subject to availability, subscribers may exchange tickets for another performance of the same concert or for any other series concert. Up to 24 hours before the concert, subscribers may exchange tickets in person at FMSO office only, by mail by enclosing the tickets to be exchanged, or by fax with a dated copy of the torn tickets. Exchanges must be used in the season for which the subscription was purchased, Exchanges are free for subscribers; there is a $3 per ticket exchange fee for non-subscribers.

Unable to Attend?

Make sure your seats don't go empty! Turn in your seats for resale up to 24 hours prior to the concert and get a tax deduction for the value of the seats. Mail or bring your tickets to the NDSU Box Office, or fax us a dated copy of your torn tickets at 218-236-1845. There are no refunds for tickets.

Discounts & Opportunities

For Groups: Enjoy good music in good company. Groups of 10 or more receive discounts of 10% off regular ticket prices when arranged in advance. Call 218-233-8397 for more information.

For Last Minute Plans: Due to our exchange and ticket turnback programs, last minute tickets are often available, even for sold-out performances! If you were unable to get tickets earlier, try again the day of the performance. You may be pleasantly surprised.

For Gift Givers: Gift certificates are available in any dollar amount and are perfect for any occasion-birthdays, anniversaries, or holidays. Gifts may be redeemed at the FMSO office, or by calling 218-233-8397.