The Rockbridge Symphony continues its 2025-26 season at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31, in Wilson Hall at Washington and Lee University’s Lenfest Center for the Arts with a “sensoryfriendly” concert.
The sensory-friendly format was inaugurated in early 2022 when then Symphony Director Yi-Ping Chen and Rockbridge Area Community Services Executive Director Don Sherman collaborated to organize a concert arranged to welcome everyone, including listeners who might have found attending a live concert – among a crowded audience – uncomfortable.
Sensory-friendly events are designed to be less overwhelming for individuals with sensory sensitivities. They feature lower lights/sounds, quiet spaces, fewer crowds, and flexible rules to create a calmer, more inclusive environment for all ages.
The orchestra will play a varied program of music, including both loud and exciting and quieter pieces, and the audience may choose to be comfortable in or out of seats. Those who wish for a less intense experience will be able to watch and listen to the concert – in real time – from a “quiet room” a short distance away.
Under the direction of Dr. Matt Mainella, the program will feature works by composers from Bach to Saint-Saëns, with stops at Brahms, Copland, Glière, Offenbach, and others.
Tickets will be available at four downtown locations, accepting cash or checks only: Sugar Maple Trading Company; Cheese to You; Artists in Cahoots; and University Florist, as well as online at rockbridgesymphony.org, and at the door. Season tickets will be honored at the door.
For more information about the Rockbridge Symphony, visit rockbridgesymphony. org.
