Buying a ticket to a symphony concert can feel like showing up to a party where everyone already knows each other. What do you wear? When do you clap? Do you need to know anything about classical music before you walk in?
The Winston-Salem Symphony has an answer for that hesitation: You don't need to know anything. You just need to show up.
Music for People Who Think Symphonies Aren't for Them
The orchestra performs both classical and popular music, which means the lineup changes depending on what pulls people in the door. Someone who grew up on movie scores might find a concert built around film music, such as ACTION! The Legacy of John Williams on Feb 6, 2027, or a concert of video game music, namely NEXT LEVEL on May 8, 2027. A parent looking for a family outing might land on a program designed with younger audiences in mind, such as Oct 17's Halloween Spooktacular or April 10's PROJECT TRIO. A longtime classical listener can still get the full orchestral experience they came for.
That range matters because it removes the guesswork. Instead of asking audiences to adapt to one narrow definition of what a symphony concert should be, the organization builds programming around different reasons people might want live orchestral music in their lives.
Education Woven Into the Mission
The Symphony's work extends past the concert hall. Its music education programs, including the P.L.A.Y. Music program, give students access to instruction and performance opportunities that build skills over time. The WSS Youth Orchestras Program offers another path for young musicians who want to keep developing after they've picked up an instrument.
For families, this creates a kind of pipeline. A child might start with an education program, join a youth orchestra a few years later, and eventually sit in the audience for a mainstage concert with a level of understanding that changes how they listen. None of that requires a family background in classical music. It just requires access, and that access is part of what the symphony offers as a nonprofit serving Winston-Salem.
Chamber Music and Chorus Add Texture
Not every performance calls for a full orchestra. The Symphony also presents chamber music, which brings smaller groups of musicians into more intimate settings. These concerts tend to feel different from a full symphonic program. The scale is smaller, the interaction between musicians is more visible, and the listening experience can feel closer and more direct.
The Symphony Chorus adds another dimension entirely, even on a multimedia level with October 25's The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci. Choral works paired with orchestral performances bring a different kind of texture to a concert season, giving audiences variety across a single year of programming rather than one repeated format. The Chorus will also perform on November's Violins of Hope concert, December 17's Handel's Messiah, and late-May's famous Carmina Burana.
A Nonprofit Built Around Community Access
As an arts nonprofit, the Winston-Salem Symphony's mission includes outreach that goes beyond ticket sales. Community events and performances create additional entry points for people who might never attend a formal concert but still want a connection to live music in their city.
This matters in a place like Winston-Salem, where cultural institutions compete for time and attention against countless other options. The Symphony's answer isn't to make classical music trendy. It's to make it accessible in as many forms as possible, whether that's a full mainstage performance, a chamber concert, a youth orchestra recital, or a community outreach event. All of these things combined are greatly dependent on corporate sponsors, foundation grants, and generous donations of any amount from music lovers in our community and beyond.
What This Means for You
If you've never attended a Symphony concert, the barrier to entry is lower than you might think. If you're a parent looking for music education options, there's a structured program already in place. And if you already know you love classical music, the range of programming, from full orchestra to chamber ensembles to chorus performances, gives you more ways to experience it throughout the year.
The Winston-Salem Symphony isn't asking audiences to change how they think about classical music. It's offering enough different ways into that music that almost anyone can find one that fits.
Ready to Experience It Yourself?
Concert schedules, education program details and ticket information are available at wssymphony.org. Follow along on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube for updates on upcoming performances and programs. Questions can be directed to hi@wssymphony.org.
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