I was here for the Merry, Merry Chicago opening night and disappointed that the store was closed after the show. I happened to be not too far away for a different event the next day so I circled back. The selection for gifts for musicians is very unique and most of the items were funny if you understand music to any degree. The pricing is far and comparable to souvenirs from surrounding fine arts. The Merry, Merry, Chicago ornament was very pretty and I almost purchased it, but I am getting to that point in my life where not having the thing from the experience doesn't mean I won't remember it. I did pick up a postcard to hang by my work desk and so did my teenage daughter for her own space. The items offered are DEFINITELY unique--ranging from egg timers that sing when your eggs are boiled to wind chimes that play a specific song when activated to items made out of recycled instrument parts. 10/10 recommend if you have someone that would get surprise and delight out of an item like that. The staff was kind, greeted us upon our arrival, and was patient as we took the time to look at, like, literally everything. (With our eyes, not our hands!) My only suggestion for the future was to have shopping time around the nighttime shows? I don't know if it was open before the show, but the trek from the suburbs didn't allow me the time to find out! read more

I saw the spirited Budapest Festival Orchestra last night at an all-Beethoven concert at Orchestra Hall. Symphonies 1 and 5 along with the Piano Concerto #2. Then this morning the NY Times published a moving account of the conductor, Ivan Fischer, who negotiated with the US State Department to allow a cellist with dual Hungarian-Iraqi citizenship make the trip. Beethoven would have approved! read more

The Symphony Store - Budapest Festival Orchestra - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We paused here to borrow the facilities, then hung out for a bit longer checking out this tiny store. I'm not much of a music person, but still found a few fun or interesting pieces so it made for a nice brief stop. read more

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Classical music isn't really my bag, so I never saw the need to visit Symphony Center. I was surprised to learn that in addition to the CSO, they host a Symphony Center Presents (SCP) series. SCP has a variety of different events, including their jazz series, which is in its 20th season. My partner in crime had been waxing poetic about the SCP Jazz series; he was particularly jazzed (pun intended) about the Herbie Hancock Quartet coming to Symphony Center for the first time in 10 years. You can buy single tickets or opt for one of three different packages - 5 shows from group A; 5 shows from group B or all 10 shows. We ended up passing on the package since I want to see a show from B, Herbie was in A and seeing 10 shows just isn't in the cards. Orchestra Hall is quite beautiful; well maintained and well lit. Unsurprisingly, the acoustics are fabulous; whether listening to Herbie and his quartet jam or hearing him bust out the keytar and get everyone rocking to an encore of Rockit - it all sounded amazing. Where the Orchestra Hall loses points for me is seating. Being an old theater, seating is cramped. I don't consider myself abnormally tall, but my legs were so constrained, it became distracting after a while. The seats are also stingy with the padding, by the end of our 3-hour, intermission-free performance my knees and bony ass were crying uncle. Tall folks: do what you can to get an aisle or near aisle seat, so you can stretch your legs without being disruptive. My only other complaint isn't Symphony Center's fault, it was some of the patrons. If you're going to a show here, do silence your phone - when the alarm of your phone goes off for a solid 2 minutes, oddly people get annoyed. I won't even go into how many people I counted sleeping. Even though my legs and butt might not like it, I'm excited to return to Symphony Center for more shows in the future. TIP: If you're in the loop, buy your tickets from the box office and save yourself the $15/ticket service charge. read more

I've never attended a performance of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, but I would like to thank those responsible for the non-CSO programming at Orchestra Hall. My family and I have attended the last two performances of Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, "El Mejor Mariachi del Mundo." The sold-out performances attest to the popularity of the group here in Chicago (that Orchestra Hall brought the group back in less than a year shows their responsiveness to their audience), and there isn't a venue better-suited to musicians of this caliber in the city than Orchestra Hall. Both times I've attended, the acoustics couldn't have been better, all of the disparate elements of the group (violins, trumpets, voices, and traditional stringed instruments) sounded crystalline and flawless. The online ticket sales system is simple and for a service fee so small it's cute. "Por amor... soy de tí...y seré toda la vida..." read more

I grew up going to the Symphony Center to hear the CSO. It's beyond beautiful, acoustics are amazing and the CSO is world class. Every Chicagoan should make it here once, even if orchestral music is not your thing. Just stay off their mailing and calling list or they'll never leave you alone! read more

I don't know how to say this... but... I LOVE ORCHESTRA HALL. Every time I come here I get one of them special chills on my arms. I don't go here often, which I think is nice because if you go to a place like this too often, I feel like some of the magic slips away. I can honestly say I've never had a bad experience here. Most recently I went to a Shostakovich (Yes, I googled that to figure out how to spell it) and I loved it! My friend and I grabbed a glass of champaign and meandered around for a bit before the start of the program. Everyone was so friendly! We even asked the busy bartender to take our picture and she was happy to do it! The venue is beautiful. I've loved the acoustics of the hall and all the performances. I even got a wave from Dale Clevenger... I just about melted (yeah yeah, I play horn). Never really noticed the comfort or discomfort of the seats. Occasionally you might get seated near a pillar. That happened to me once but I really didn't mind. Might I add the location in superb? Right on Michigan Ave across from the Art Institute and near a few cute diners. Frickin lovely. I also volunteer at CSO and I have to say the people I've met are all great. So that's an additional bit I thought I'd add! I promise you won't be disappointed on the outcome of your night out. Keep an open mind about where you are. You're at a historic building see a historic orchestra. Make the most of it! read more

Beautiful, historical, classy venue. I've worked shows here as well (I'm in the concert biz) and the staff was awesome. The backstage is a lot of up and down stairs, and security is tight, but it's rare to work a venue where the employees are so nice. I've also been an audience member many times: Milton Nascimento, Eliane Elias, Wayne Shorter, Evgeny Kissin, the CSO. It's always been a very pleasant experience. If you're coming to see an amplified show (ie: jazz, pop, anything except traditional orchestra) then don't sit in the back of the balcony. The sound is weird up there. *insider tip: we don't call it orchestra hall. it's always referred to as "symphony center." read more

Having been in the hall recently for separate and different concerts, I thought I should write about it. The earlier of these was for a open rehearsal of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) with the full Symphony Chorus. I had a seat in the "nosebleed" upper balcony, from where the performers looked to be the size of ants. Next, I was in the fifth row from the stage on the main level, center. From here, I was able to see many of the CSO players and a few of the vocal soloists up close. Most recently, an acquaintance was in town for a non-CSO performance involving multiple groups and had complimentary seats held for me. It turned out they were for a private box at the mezzanine level -- probably the best seats in the house! A box is a small trapezoidal room of sorts that opens up in the wider front end to an unobstructed view out to the orchestra stage with low side walls between you and the occupants of neighboring boxes. Box "L" is the very center box of this tier. We had box "P" - so just 4 to the left of center. There are 8 comfortable side chairs (armless, unnumbered) per box. Each box is entered via a door at the rear (with a small porthole-sized window). Two ushers attend the 23 boxes. All boxes have a small closed cloak closet just inside the entrance, facing a mid-length mirror. There are also men and women's washrooms just past the end boxes (A + W) on either side. This was not the first time in an Orchestra Hall box for me. The previous time, I was in box "M." But whether from the upper balcony, main floor, or a plush box, the acoustics of Orchestra Hall can't be beat, wherever your seat happens to be. Given a choice though, I'll take a velvet-upholstered and moveable chair in a box any day! read more

I came here for a performance yesterday and the venue is simply beautiful. I could hear every instrument so clearly from my seat! Not a bad seat in the house. There are even seats behind the stage! Will call was fast and easy and the ushers were knowledgeable. The location is great as well! Easy to get to using the CTA. read more

The Symphony Center is amazing. I worked in the members only Club on the 9th floor (don't anymore, so this is not an advertisement) and I love it, despite the fact that the carpet is sort of outdated. The street side has a patio that runs the length of the building and looks out over the lake, Millenium Park, and the Art Institute. The view is totally stunning, and floor length windows highlight it. The opposite side of the room is all floor-length mirrors, which really creates an amazing atmosphere on a beautiful Chicago day. You can't get in to the Club for meals unless you're a member of the CSO group, but you can rent out the space for weddings, parties, etc. The prices aren't bad. I considered it for my own wedding, it was just too small. There's two other main rental spaces in the Symphony center, including a classic chandeliered room called Buntrock hall, and another plain room behind the actual Orchestra Hall. Orchestra Hall is breathtaking. My favorite performance that I've seen was the Dave Brubeck band. I was at the very top, with that sweeping steep view below me that might have freaked out someone that was afraid of heights. There's nothing like Dave Brubeck in that setting, and the wizened African American man behind me yelled out during the encore, "Ain't nobody can play it the way you can play it!" Amen! read more

Yes, this is a very pretty theater but they have to do something about the seats. I think that they might be the most uncomfortable ever. In particular do not sit in upper balcony, row N, seat 17. This not an obstructed view seat and while I agree the view is not obstructed your legs most certainly are. There is a column taking up about a quarter of the leg room allotted to that seat. Charging full price for this seat is highway robbery. We did appreciate the honor bar coffee that they offer on the mezzanine level. read more

Very interesting store. They've added world music selections and you can sample them in the store. The staff know what they are talking about and can point you into a good direction. I spent an hour listening to music and looking at the gifts. Tons of CSO souveniers if you want to take something back for classical music lovers. There are tons of tourists here on the weekends. So come during the week. read more

I'm a die-hard music lover so it saddened me to see that the store has gone the way of most other affiliated orchestra stores: lighter on the music and music books and heavier on the crafty arts and gifts with musical themes. For those that remember, there used to be a huge music store where a food chain now sits, then this was relegated to the back entrance on Adams, and now finally they have reduced the music display to a small portion of the store. I'm presuming this is driven by real-world business: most people aren't going to buy full-price CDs in a store anymore, which is why there aren't any such stores left at all in Chicago. I used to love browsing through the extensive recordings and seeing the history of what the CSO has done, sampling the different tracks through the sounds stations, buying the interesting ones. One has to go elsewhere for music sampling: online, used music stores. read more

Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center is one of the premier performance spaces for orchestras in the world. The acoustics could be better even though they had a multi-million dollar renovation a few years back. My friend has played there many times with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and gives me all of the inside information. Orchestra Hall gets 5 stars even though the acoustics are not as good as they could be, but because the Chicago Symphony Orchestra plays there. They are the best orchestra in the country, by far. Do yourself a favor and go to a concert. You will not regret it. read more

Was there to see Muti conduct Mozart Requiem and it was AMAZING! Sat in the lower balcony left 1st seat and it was perfect. The hall is beautiful. I would suggest the front row and aisle seats since the chairs are positioned so close together. The only thing I wasn't happy about was the person behind me kicking my seat every few minutes so I honestly would get lost in the music but then the kick to the back of my chair brought me back to real life. So try to keep still as to not disturb others that actually love the orchestra. If you don't think you can keep still, then I would suggest front row seating. Grab a couple of cough drops too. It helps to keep your mouth moist and your throat clear so that once again, you are not disturbing others. Wasn't able to make the pre-lecture but if you could, you should. Leave your phones at home or in the car! No need for them here. Relax, regroup and enjoy!! read more

I love this place. It's quiet and although many of the gift items go a bit off the cheese end, it is one of the ONLY classical music stores left in the city. Sad but true-- buy a gift and support a great institution. read more

just floated out of this place after the joshua redman/ branford marsalis jam tonite. i can't recommend the venue or the jazz series highly enough, if you're into jazz, that is. i think the acoustics in this place are phenomenal, no matter where you're seated, but i will warn you that if you can possibly afford to move down a tier, the cheap nosebleed seats are really cramped. no room to cross your knees, and two hours is a long time to sit without room to shift! however, you'll be so transported by the music, everything else will just fade away. read more

Orchestra Hall is a stellar venue to see a performance. Sometimes I sit way up in the nosebleeds, because I do not mind not having a good view of the stage. The acoustics even from way up here are always top notch. One of the best places to sit though is the half circular area above and behind the orchestra pit. From this angle it is possible to enjoy a unique view of the performers and I have not seen seating in this area in other venues. I love the elegant old world decor. read more

The acoustics are fantastic in this beautiful and historic hall. There is not a bad seat in the house, because of the way it is designed. They of course feature classical concerts , but also have jazz , pop or choral concerts as well. I had the privalege of singing in a choir here some years ago. A must visit in Chicago. read more

Note: concerning the Friday night Chicago Symphony Orchestra subscription series; lots of younger classical music fans attend it, and there are sometimes events held after the concerts at their venue called Post in the 4th-5th floor arcade. Worth checking out. read more

this is one of my happy places. it's astonishingly beautiful, the accoustics are wonderful, and the view is great even from the upper balconies, and the performances are fantastic. i always look forward to going to the symphony center :) read more