Department of Music

• Serve as hosts and hostesses for music events.  You are the first face the patron sees and are the ones who set the mood for the event.
• Tear or scan tickets
• Direct patrons (to seats, restrooms, water fountains, elevators, phones, department, box office, or orchestra staff, etc)
• Hand out programs
• Alert the house manager to any problems or emergencies.
• Help enforce the rules of the venue (no food or drink, latecomer entry, photography, etc)
• Be present and ready to help!  Even if you do not have a specific task (during intermission, for example), you are helping by being available should a patron need something.
• Help pick up programs after the concert.

The Department of Music House Managers are responsible for managing all of the "front of house" or non-performance aspects of concerts and events. The House Manager’s job is to make sure that the event runs smoothly, all parts of the building function properly, all patrons’ needs are met (if possible), the Music Department presents a professional appearance to the world, and all rules and laws are followed. The safety of the audience, the building, the University of Virginia, and the reputation of the McIntire Department of Music are their top priorities. 

House Managers train and supervise the Ushers, Recording Techs, and Desk Supervisors. They supervise all contractors, monitor who is in secure spaces, act as liaison with the Event Contacts, Ushers, Arts Box Office, the fire department, ambulance, police, ground security, housekeeping, and UVA Facilities. House Managers must present a professional image, solve problems calmly, and be able to speak with authority on behalf of the Music Department.

Old Cabell Hall is on the Lawn at the University of Virginia. Ushers please come to the Music Office in 112 Old Cabell (Lawn level)
Bridge is located at 209 Monticello Road.
Brooks Hall is on University Avenue, opposite The Corner.
Hunter Smith Band Building is at 180 Culbreth Road.
MLK jr Performing Arts Center at Charlottesville High School is at 1400 Melbourne Rd, Charlottesville, VA 22901
Monticello High School is located at 1400 Independance Way
Newcomb Hall is located at 180 McCormick Road.
The Rotunda is at 1826 University Avenue

Call Times:
Symphony concerts: call time is 1 hour prior to concert time. 
All other music department concerts: call time is 45 minutes prior to concert time.

Call Places:
Old Cabell Hall: Please come to the music office in 112 Old Cabell Hall (off the lobby on The Lawn level, level 6)
MLKPAC at CHS:  Go to the Auditorium lobby, & go down the hallway beside the lobby, there will be a Usher / House Manager table set up there.  You can ask at the Box Office in the Lobby if you get confused.

If an emergency arises and you cannot usher as planned, you must promtly call the Music Department Office at 924-3052 or email music@virginia.edu with “usher cancellation” in the subject line.

Wear a nice white-top and black-bottom outfit with comfortable black shoes.  All-black clothing can be worn as an alternative. The House Managers will give you an “usher” badge to wear. The uniformity of dress along with the name badge helps patrons identify ushers when they need help.

The nearest parking is in the C1 lot behind Bryan Hall and at the Central Grounds Parking Garage, next to the UVA bookstore. Since the implementation of the new gateless paying at the Central Grounds Parking Garage, the music department is endeavoring to negotiate a method by which we can pay for usher parking at the garage.  We will post updates here.  The Central Grounds Garage is free on Symphony Saturday nights, but at all other times it is paid parking  If you choose to park elsewhere on grounds, use caution and pay close attention to signage in all parking areas.  http://music.virginia.edu/directions-parking

Please inform the house managers about any problems or emergencies as soon as possible.

Food and drink are not permitted in the auditorium.  There are water fountains and restrooms in the lobby

• For ticketed events, the box office opens in the lobby an hour prior to each concert for patrons to purchase or pick up already purchased tickets. 
• If someone hands you a ticket they can not use, please give it to the house manager or box office as soon as possible.
• The house managers will have a sample ticket at the usher training.  Below is a ticket image.  You will want to scan barcode (on concerts with scanners), or tear and keep stub of the ticket with the bar code.

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If you are asked to tear tickets please tear along the thick blue line and keep the small stub of the ticket with the bar code on it.  These stubs get counted and scanned so we can accurately evaluate our attendance and compare it with our box office sales records.

Most of our events are open or concert seating where there are no assigned seats.  Symphony concerts seats are assigned.  Please visit the Symphony Usher page for more information..  

The House Managers will inform you of the latecomer policy in your pre-concert training. Generally we ask latecomers to quickly find a seat in the back without disrupting other patrons.  Then at an appropriate break in the program they can find their ideal seat.

Most of our events are open or concert seating where there are no assigned seats.  For those concerts with assigned seating, the house managers will provide ushers with seating charts and display charts in the lobby of Old Cabell Hall.  Below is a seating chart of Old Cabell Hall.