Frequently Asked Questions

A TSO subscriber is anyone who has purchased a subscription package for the current season. Whether you love the classics or Pops, or want to pick and choose a wide variety of styles, there is a subscription option for you! Please see our Subscriptions page for details.

A single-ticket buyer is any patron who has purchased tickets for one or more TSO performances, but has not purchased a subscription package for the current season.

If you have purchased a ticket and find you can no longer attend the concert, you have options: you may either exchange your ticket for one to a different performance (see Exchanges & Returns for details) or you may return your ticket to the TSO and receive a tax receipt for its value.

Patron account information is confidential; any updates or changes, including ticket exchanges and reprints, must be made by the account holder. To make arrangements for someone else to have access to your account, please call Patron Services at 416.598.3375 or e-mail contactus@tso.ca.

During the renewal season, if you would like one or more of your upcoming season seats or series to be renewed under someone else’s account instead of your own, you may do so by completing and submitting the Seat Transfer Request Form (download the Seat Transfer Request Form PDF). This will allow the transferee to take ownership of the full subscription package, including all reprints, exchanges, and ticket turnbacks, and to renew the package under their own name in future seasons.

The completed form should be returned to Patron Services via a method indicated on the form (in person or via fax, email, or mail). Seat transfers may only be performed before the seats have been renewed. No seat transfers will be performed without a completed Seat Transfer Request Form.

The TSO offers group benefits to patrons purchasing 10 or more tickets to one performance, including discounted seat prices, reduced service fees, and complimentary tickets. Please see Group Sales for details.

All published TSO ticket prices include HST. Tickets for concerts at Roy Thomson Hall also include a Roy Thomson Hall facility fee of $3.75 per ticket for tickets $20 and over (before HST), and $1.75 per ticket for tickets under $20 (before HST). Tickets for concerts at George Weston Recital Hall also include a facility fee charge of $3 per ticket.

For Masterworks and Special concerts, due to the length of the program, we suggest that children be at least 10 years of age.

For Pops concerts, we suggest that children be at least 5 years of age.

Please note that every patron (regardless of age) requires a ticket in order to enter the venue, and young people under the age of 12 will not be admitted into the hall without an adult in attendance.

TSO Young People’s Concerts are created especially for audience members ages 5–10. While children under the age of 5 are welcome to attend these concerts, 5 years is considered an appropriate lower age limit. Children under 5 may attend TSO Young People’s Concerts at their parents’ discretion with a purchased ticket.

If children are disruptive, Roy Thomson Hall staff will ask parents to take them into the lobby where they may watch the performance.

Due to the very high volume of requests we receive, all charitable-donation requests must be on official letterhead and must include the details and date of the event, a complete mailing address, and (if possible) a charitable-registration number. Requests should be scanned and sent to Maureen Hamlyn, TSO Receptionist & Administrative Services, at mhamlyn@TSO.CA. The TSO regrets that any requests not received in this format cannot be considered.

We suggest that you plan to arrive one hour to forty-five minutes before the scheduled start time. This will allow you time to find your seat, relax, and read the program notes.

Check your tickets carefully for concert times and venue information. 

When coming to a concert, please remember that traffic, construction, parking, and weather can affect your arrival time, so leave early to make sure you’re not late. To help prepare you for your visit, visit the applicable venue information page: Roy Thomson Hall and George Weston Recital Hall.

Roy Thomson Hall will open its doors to patrons approximately one hour before the performance start time, and the Roy Thomson Hall Box Office will be open until a half-hour after the performance start time. The George Weston Recital Hall doors will open 45 minutes prior to the concert start time.

Roy Thomson Hall:

The closest subway stop is St. Andrew and the closest streetcar stop is University Ave.

George Weston Recital Hall, Toronto Centre for the Arts:

The George Weston Recital Hall at the Toronto Centre for the Arts can be reached via the TTC. The closest subway stop is North York Centre.

Please consult ttc.ca to ensure you are aware of any route or schedule changes.

Roy Thomson Hall:

There are two Impark lots on the Roy Thomson Hall block: one is underneath the hall itself (Roy Thomson Hall Parkade, Lot #120) and one is underneath Metro Hall/David Pecaut Square just west of the hall (Metro Centre, Lot #76).

There are also Impark lots across from Roy Thomson Hall at 180 Wellington Street West (RBC Building, Lot #462) and 155 Wellington Street West (RBC Centre, Lot #435), and just around the corner from Roy Thomson Hall at 200 King Street West (Lot #330).

George Weston Recital Hall/Toronto Centre for the Arts:

There is an Impark lot on the Toronto Centre for the Arts block (5000 Yonge Street, Lot #490). There are also Impark lots on the surrounding blocks at 5162 Yonge Street (Gibson Square, Lot #466) and 4900 Yonge Street (Joseph Sheppard Building, Lots #316 and #358).

Please visit impark.com for further information on city parking.

We don't want you to miss a note! In the best interests of all patrons and performers, and to minimize any distractions, latecomers and those who leave the auditorium during a concert will be admitted only if there is a suitable break in the performance.

The TSO assumes no responsibility for portions of any concert missed due to lateness (including inclement weather, traffic delays, or TTC service) and cannot make any adjustment in the ticket price.

Performance length varies, but a typical TSO Masterworks performance runs approximately two hours with one intermission. You can find the runtime of each individual piece on the performance page before purchasing tickets.

Modern audiences tend to wait until the end of an entire piece to clap. Why? Holding applause between movements is considered to be respectful of the performers’ concentration and mindful of musical continuity.

The conductor will signal when a piece is over by putting his or her arms down and turning to the audience.

You are welcome to take pictures inside the auditorium before and after the concert, and at intermission. Once the house lights begin to dim, please note that the performance has begun, and photography or any type of recording during the performance is prohibited.

As a courtesy to musicians, guest artists, and fellow concertgoers, please put your phone away during the performance. Flash photography is forbidden at all times. The use of cameras, smartphones, and/or other recording devices for commercial reproduction or sale is strictly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

The use of mobile and smartphones and other electronic devices is extremely disruptive. Please be sure to turn off your cell phones, pagers, and all other electronic devices before the concert begins. Take a break from the outside world.

There is no dress code. Anything that makes you feel comfortable is fine. Most people wear business clothes or slightly dressy casual clothes, but you'll see everything from khakis to cocktail dresses.

We share the air—go scent free. We urge you to refrain from using any scented personal products whenever you are attending Toronto Symphony Orchestra concerts. Please keep in mind that our patrons’ and employees’ comfort and health can be compromised by the presence of scents in our environment that trigger the various symptoms associated with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities.

The condition known as Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) refers to the disabling symptoms that many people experience as a result of exposure to environmental substances. People with MCS can experience symptoms in response to fragrances that interfere with their daily life as a result of exposure.

The Corporation of Massey Hall & Roy Thomson Hall and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra have taken the following steps to encourage and support a scent-free environment:

• Reduced use of scented products in our facilities to the greatest extent possible
• Created policies and messages to encourage our employees and patrons to make their individual contributions to a scent-free environment
• Encourage our patrons and employees to identify any accommodation issues attending chemical sensitivities
• Pursued communications to enhance our employees’ and patrons’ awareness of the condition of MCS, with the objective of increasing their knowledge and commitment to contributing to a scent-free environment