Chicago Symphony Orchestra Assoc. Reviews

Outstanding Symphony Performance
The building is magnificent

The Civic Orchestra fellows were a delight to the ear. I especially appreciated the French Horn.

Beautiful venue and a great place to here wonderful music!

A beautiful building a wonderful Hall inside love it

I ve seen multiple productions at the CSO it s world class all the way.

Music fans will be pilgrimage, come and listen to one! Definitely worth

Tip: There is usually a lecture an hour before the concert upstairs. Go to it, and you will appreciate the concert even more.

The symphony is amazing. Muti is creating programs that are exciting to the experienced and the inexperienced symphony goer.

Once Upon a Symphony was a wonderful experience for my son and me

Great place to watch and listen to the symphony and special events. Must attend for music lover with history of the building.

My husband and I went here to see the symphony play while we watched Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The staff were very friendly and helpful. They had cough drops out for free which is a great idea. The music was beautiful and it was such a fun experience BUT the seats (The balcony seats; not the floor seating and box seats that are available too) were so uncomfortable. My husband and I are tall, average size people and by the end of each half we were very stiff. Not enough leg room, small seats so you feel like you want to make yourself smaller so the people next to you don t have to be squished against you.

Great Music hall with awesome sound quality. never knew seats can go that high.

I wish I had come here sooner, it was very enjoyable. I would recommend the lower balcony seating for sure. I will definitely be coming back.

Always an aural and visual pleasure! Traditionalism and modernism wrapped up with a bow

Excellent acoustics and seating. Plenty of bathrooms. I love the self-service coffee & hot chocolate during intermission. Alcohol and some snacks available.

I have seen so many great performers and performances at the CSO Too many to name
Thank you Life without music would be a mistake

Best orchestral venue in the city, if not the country. Wonderful to perform in too. Liked it better than Carnegie Hall. And the CSO is one of Chicago's most valuable cultural assets.

Excellent music. And the service is incredible. Its a good choice to purchase a concert package to at least 3 concerts or more.

While Symphony Center is a beautiful place, it is the wonderful Chicago Symphony that is the draw. Be moved by the CSO's always terrific performances!

Maybe I am spoiled with private concerts, I don't feel the seats too comfortable sitting there for the whole symphony. Beautiful place and awesome programs for sure.

A fantastic performance by the World's Greatest Orchestra!

Uncomfortable Seats; Don't Trust the Box Office - A world-class symphony is only as good as those who represent them. And, so it is with CSO. I very much wanted to go to their 125th Anniversary concert, because they were going to play my favorite piece of all time, Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1. So, I called their Box Office and specifically asked when single tickets were going to go on sale. I was told August 12. Since I am not good at trusting people, I periodically checked their website. And, guess what? Yep. The tickets were on sale by June 7. And, I ended up in Row B in what I call the "upper deck." It's actually the "Gallery." When I told one usher I was in the "upper deck," he laughed and asked if I mistakenly thought I was coming to a Cubs game. Well, I am certain the bleacher seats there are more comfortable! You know for sure at the CSO that you are indeed in the cheap seats. The gallery is sloped at quite an angle! You definitely want to make sure that you are holding onto the side rail at all times going up and coming down! Then, because of the high degree of slope, there are the same metal rails between each row. So, you have a pretty good chance of having one leg wedged against one of the rails. The symphony is very good. But, I was struck at how their conductor, Riccardo Muti, leapt into their program's Beethoven before the audience had quieted down from applauding. I said to someone during intermission that maybe Muti just wanted to get the program over with so he could get to the gala ball being held afterward. The music was great, but you are put through some hurdles unless you are willing to really lay your money down to get decent seats. Ours were $60/each. To me, it wasn't worth it, and I have no plan on returning to CSO.

What can be said other than it's the CSO. I will say the only thing keeps me from absolutely loving it here has the seating. It is quite narrow and firm. I'm 6.3 and 200 pounds and I cannot fit in any section other than the gallery, where there is no seat in front of you. Luckily the gallery still has great views and acoustics. I really think that all of the seating needs to be redone in the off-season to bring it up to the same level as the performances that take place there.

One of the world's greatest symphonies can be heard in this splendid hall!

Home to the greatest Orchestra! Symphony center has very friendly staff.

Awesome time with my wife.
World-class!

My clients requested that I take them to the symphony Center. They like it very much Five Star Plus. They also had me to come back and pick them up and take them back to the Palmer House.

I personally do not know much about this place-only the holding rooms, as I preformed here. It is a beautiful building and amazing space nonetheless.

Phenomenal orchestra! one of the best in the world!
I've seen Muti and Yo-Yo Ma several times here, amazing!
I also enjoy the movie presentations - The Godfather & Home Alone were my favorite ones!

great performance, beautiful place, wish I had more time to spend.

Go here if you are in Chicago. One of the best symphonies in the world plays every weekend.

Always great performances. Venue is great. Plenty of hotels and restaurants around.

I have been attending for over 20 years. I remember when they use to have the music marathon 3 days of classical music non stop, 24 hrs all nite and day. I love coming here the staff is helpful. If ur a classical music lover this is a venue to visit. Make a night of it go for dinner. Chicago Love

Nice theater, though didnt have mobile signal at all which made audience to more involved in the speech.

Preforming here was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. Such a historic performance hall and just an extrodinary building.

We were hear for graduation it's a perfect venue for large amount of people.

The best Orchestra in the world. Right here in beautiful Michigan Ave. Seasons starts Sept

Absolutely great experience sitting through Ludovico Einaudi's concert. The ambience couldn't be better for such amazing instrumental music.
Have always loved coming here.
TIP= STUDENTS get special pricing if you bring your ID card. Ask for it.

Performances are excellent but knocking a star because they will bombard you with phone calls to donate. Also you aren't allowed to take any pictures, even before the concert. (To be fair, this is probably from the musicians union but still.) Seems silly for a genre that desperately needs to attract young people

When I was a kid my mother, in an ill-fated attempt to civilize me and my brother, took us to our first classical concerts. I think we were more impressed by the bar in the lobby ;)

Highly recommend attending a concert, any CSO concert will do! Sit back, close your eyes and let the music penetrate your mind!

We went to watch Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The orchestra is so incredible and it becomes difficult to decide whether to watch them play or to watch the movie. It's so amazing and you forget that it's not the movie score playing but it's actually the orchestra. Everything is synced perfectly. We had box J and it was great seating. Note that in order to bring a drink into the seating you have to purchase their sippy cups.

Exquisite music in an amazing setting! It's so worth seeing shows here. The CSO never disappoints!!!

I go here to attend chicago civic orchestra concerts. They are cheap $5 and enjoyable to listen to

Free concerts in the summer when they practice. Beautiful spot for lunch and a fantastic show!

Fantastic venue, helpful staff at will call and the ticket office, great concerts.

Amazing as always. Glad to have such a beautiful Orchestra in our city.

Well located, superb music, a must-see place for classical music lovers

I've been here for a performance in the chamber section and it's wonderful being so close up with such great artists.

Outstanding venue for the CSO. Symphony Center is the home of the Chicago Symphony, and also host to visiting orchestras, pianists, and ensembles. Despite the quibbles some may have, the sound is fine throughout the hall. Views and seating differ, though, with some of the best places in the first balcony. It gets narrower in the upper keeps, but some say that the sound blends as you ascend. I am a musician and sometimes find the differences slight. At times, though, the audience noise is the issue, but that is not the fault of the Symphony Center. The CSO us the draw, and it is worth multiple visits to catch various works and different conductors, as well as soloists and others.

Beethoven Piano Concerto #5 and Dvorak Symphony #7. Beautiful and entertaining. Piano soloist Nicholas Angelich was amazing on the Emperor Concerto.

Had a wedding in 8th and 9th floor. The view wad to die for.

Wonderful venue for enjoying the Symphony. Friendly ushers. Bathrooms in basement. Free cough drops a pleasant perk.

The most amazing orchestra playing music from the best movie. What a mind blowing experience from the most talented players.

People please learn to dress for the occasion. I was shocked at what people are wearing, let s bring back the classy night out

Went to see the Chieftains, great concert! Good place to see & listen. Parked in the lot across the street....... absolutely crazy price for parking!!! $45 for just over 2 hours, Chicago is Soo very high priced to park!!!!!!

Taking in a performance at the Chicago Symphony Center, 220 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60604 is always a great time for a group. The performance space is quite nice for taking in a classical music performance.

I love coming here for the CSO at the Movies series. The staff is very friendly and it's a beautiful venue.

Beautiful and historic. Habitual attendance recommended! The CSO is amazing and well worth the drive from Milwaukee.

Always an incredible experience. We've been several times and are always rewarded with very moving pieces. A wonderful thing to do every month or so in Chicago!

Great hall, audio, almost everything.
Could use another set of hands at the concession stand/bar - one person seems a little short.
But great otherwise.

One of the greatest orchestras in the world, caught in bind between choosing chestnuts that please their aging constituency or alienating their existing audience through programming that might appeal to a younger crowd. Every piece in every concert is a gem -- and almost nobody ever regrets going. Pay attention to the soundpost promotions: they offer deep discounts and provide an excellent framing context for people not super familiar with classical music.

A world class orchestra and the concert hall feels more intimate than many others I have been to.

World-class performances. Stunning decor, elevator access, beautiful sound, bar service, coat check, helpful ushers, conveniently located restrooms. Easily accessible by public transportation.