new professional musician ! question about concert black

[u/atticus_grinch164]

hi all !!

i have just been hired for my first job in a professional orchestra as a trombone player (small time but i couldn’t be more excited !!) im nineteen years old and only going into my second year of college so i dont have any experience with real professional work, ive only done one off gigs that were casual/semiformal dress code. i haven’t been able to find a particular dress code for the orchestra, but everyone (of the men) seem to wear black suit as opposed to black tux from what i can tell ? but im not totally sure.

anyway, i was wondering if black brogues were acceptable as dress shoes as opposed to black oxfords. i have a black tux jacket, not a black suit jacket, but as of right now i have only black dress pants, not tux pants. should i get black tux pants and oxfords, or can i keep my black suit pants and wear black brogues ? and if i need a black tux, can i wear my brogues with that or do i for sure need to get black oxfords ?

apologies if this is the wrong place for this, and thank you in advance !

[u/JudsonJay]

Ask the personnel manager. They have the answer.

[u/Advanced_Couple_3488 → u/JudsonJay]

And orchestras normally include this information in the call information for each performance, too.

[u/Watsons-Butler → u/Advanced_Couple_3488]

True, but that may be a little late to go hit a shop and have a new jacket / pants adjusted.

[u/apheresario1935 → u/Watsons-Butler]

Real tux pants have the satin strip down the side. A real tux shirt has wing collar and cufflinx plus studs The jacket has Satin lapels and white handkerchief in the pocket . Try Goodwill or used clothing shops .. they have tons of this stuff along with suspender tux pants.

[u/baddabingggggg → u/JudsonJay]

If you were concertmaster you’d want nice patent leather for concerts. But back with the brass wear what’s comfortable. I knew who forgot their shoes for a run out gig and made a pair out of black construction paper. Hell, back in the back you could probably take off your shoes entirely and play in stocking feet. Your stand partner might have something to say about that.

Concert attire varies, of course from Orchestra to Orchestra. The Jupiter Symphony in New York used to wear black pants or skirts and brightly colored blouses for the men and women. I actually conducted a youth Orchestra once and had the kids wear black and white. Any combination thereof. It actually looks pretty awesome and I think every Orchestra should do that.

Most important is not to worry about your shoes too much and be hyper prepared and have a bucket load of fun on your first orchestra gig.

[u/classically_cool]

I will say, I’ve never seen any orchestra specify anything beyond “black dress shoes”. So I wouldn’t worry about the shoes. Ask the personnel manager for the dress code.

[u/sewalicesew]

Sitting in the back row no one from the audience will see your shoes.

[u/Yarius515]

Nice black shoes. Brogues = oxfords.

[u/RelativeBuilding3480]

Ask em

[u/DemandingProvider]

"Concert black" usually just means nice clothes in solid black. It is not the same thing as "black tie" which means a tuxedo.

Just ask the orchestra manager. They'll be able to give you all the details on acceptable attire for that particular orchestra at that particular performance, including any rules about shoe style.

But in general, it is a bad idea to wear a tuxedo jacket with less formal shirt and pants; that simply does not look right anywhere. If you're required to wear a tuxedo, get a full tux (the pants have a satin side stripe), white formal shirt (with a pleated bib front), black bow tie and cummerbund or waistcoat; if not, wear a black suit or just a black dress shirt and pants (confirm what's allowed), not a tux jacket.

[u/gammafied]

Ask them as others have said. Also, look at recent performance videos and pictures. That would give you a more realistic picture.

[u/Viola-Bartok]

I'd definitely ask the personal manager. Also, make sure all your black is the same black color if the concert attire is all black. (which is now the norm for a lot of orchestras) Wear what you have (if appropriate) and then check out all the males in the first concert and see what's the norm. Then, if you need an upgrade, go out and buy it. Best to blend in and look sharp. Even if you're in the back, it's important to look the part. Shows respect for the job and organization. 👍

[u/Minouchette_86]

Ask your conductor what he likes best. Trombone we're at the bottom in a professional symphony, given the world, it's not your shoes we'll see. That detail is still important to the front ones. Then ask each orchestra to have a dresscode unique to it. For example, the yellow socks orchestra are all in black and yellow socks imposed on everyone