Cleveland Orchestra announces 2nd sensory-friendly concert

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Orchestra’s first sensory-friendly concert in November was a success, so the arts organization is doing it again.

The orchestra’s February sensory-friendly concert will offer accommodations — including noise-reducing headphones, fidgets and quiet spaces — to create a more inclusive concert atmosphere for people with autism spectrum disorder or sensory sensitivity, the orchestra said in a release.

The sensory-friendly concert is part of a trend that sees growing number of local arts nonprofits ensuring they welcome everyone — including those who are neuroatypical — by offering these kinds of performances.

People whose brains process sensory information differently may need low lighting, warnings about loud noises, quiet rooms and detailed information about what to expect at the venue in order to enjoy plays and museum galleries.

At a sensory-friendly arts event, putting on noise-reducing headphones, playing with a small toy or clapping when everyone else is quiet, are perfectly acceptable things to do.

The concert is 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, at Severance Music Center, 11001 Euclid Ave, Cleveland.

Tickets for the sensory-friendly concert are $15, and demand is expected to be high. Guests are eligible for one free youth admission with each regular-priced ticket. For tickets, call Cleveland Orchestra Ticket Services at 216-231-1111, email boxoffice@clevelandorchestra.com, or visit clevelandorchestra.com.

The orchestra hosted its first sensory-friendly concert in November to an overwhelmingly positive response. The format was developed in collaboration with the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

The upcoming concert will offer accommodations to create a more inclusive concert atmosphere for people of all ages with autism spectrum disorder or sensory sensitivity. Talking, clapping, and moving around the concert hall will be permissible, the orchestra said.

Families can participate in pre-concert activities starting at 10 a.m., including a music therapy circle, instrument petting zoos and coloring stations, starting at 10 a.m.

Bring fidget spinners and headphones: Sensory-friendly arts performances for autistic, ADHD audiences on the rise

Prior to the concert, participants can access a social story guide, which is a step-by-step description of what concertgoers can expect to see and do, and a Spotify playlist to help them prepare for the event.

Staff from the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities will provide additional support, the orchestra said.

This relaxed, one-hour performance will be led by assistant conductor Daniel Reith, featuring chorus assistant director Daniel Singer as the narrator.

The program includes Georges Bizet’s Prélude and Aragonaise from Suite No. 1 from “Carmen,” Edvard Grieg’s Suite No. 1 from “Peer Gynt,” and Benjamin Britten’s “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.”

Julie Washington covers healthcare for cleveland.com. Read previous stories at this link.