FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Once your registration is complete (filling out “Get Started Form” Get Started) , a Student Services Specialist will contact you within a few business days to match you with a teacher and coordinate scheduling.

The lesson day and time will be held for only 10 business days from first communication. 

School Year Hours (September- June)

• Mondays - Thursdays 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM 
• Fridays 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM
• Saturdays 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM 
• CLOSED on Sundays 

Summer Hours (July - August)

• Mondays - Fridays 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM
• Saturdays 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM 
• CLOSED on Sundays

Monthly plans divide your total tuition into equal payments across the term (Deposit August, 9 Payments from September to May. Automatic billing is available for your convenience on the 15th of each month.

*No weekly or per lesson payment accepted

Yes, but withdrawals are subject to our withdrawal policy. Please contact our office for details or see below. 

Withdrawals

Formal notification of withdrawal must be made in writing to the Music School administrative staff, who must approve the withdrawal. Teacher notification is not considered formal notice of withdrawal. Non-attendance is not considered notice of withdrawal.  

Private Lesson Students 

• Once registered, students are typically enrolled for 36-38 weeks of lessons (September through May/June) or the remainder of the term (typically through June).
• Students may opt to discontinue lessons by providing formal written notice to Music School administrative staff.
• Students who withdraw prior to the first scheduled lesson will forfeit the registration fee. 
• Students who withdraw during the session will be charged for three additional lessons from the date the written withdrawal is received.

Classes and Suzuki Groups 

Any student who withdraws from a class or Suzuki group class will be responsible for tuition payment in full. Classes will not be prorated for withdrawals. Any discounts are forfeited if a student withdraws before the end of the year. 

Ensembles

Participation in Youth Ensembles is a season-long commitment (September through June). We encourage you to talk as a family about this commitment as refunds are not available to students who choose not to complete the year. Please evaluate your yearly schedule to ensure that you will be able to fulfill this time commitment. Students who withdraw before October 1st will forfeit $100 and any registration fees. Those who withdraw after October 1st will be responsible for the full year tuition. If for any reason a member is unable to continue in the program, unpaid tuition will be invoiced according to the payment policy. Any discounts are forfeited if a student withdraws before the end of the year. Ensembles will not be prorated for withdrawals. 

Refunds

If a student withdraws, there are no refunds for registration fees. Tuition for ensembles and all classes, including Suzuki group classes, is non-refundable unless the course is canceled.

We offer a range of tuition options based on lesson length (30, 45, and 60 minutes). Special arrangement rates. Annual Registration applied.  Visit our Tuition Page for full details. Tuition Rates

You can pay through the invoice we email you through the button that says, “Pay Now”, or you can pay in person ONLY at our East Providence location. We accept card, check, and cash in exact change.

Our annual registration fee helps us cover operating costs, upkeep of instruments and ensure that we have staff to manage the registration process.

All our instructors are highly trained, professional musicians and educators. You can learn more about their backgrounds and areas of expertise on our Faculty Page.

Concert lengths vary. Please call the Box Office at (401) 248-7000 ahead of time to inquire about the length of a particular concert. Amica Rush Hour Fridays are typically between 75 to 90 minutes and sometimes include an intermission. Open Rehearsal Fridays are approximately 2.5 hours, including a 20-minute break at the conductor’s discretion. TACO Classical Saturdays are approximately 2 hours, including a 20-minute intermission.

For most concerts, late seating opportunities come between pieces or at intermission. Please be aware that there are some programs that make late seating impossible. We encourage you to arrive at least 30 minutes early. 

Lost tickets will be reprinted at no charge and held for pickup at the Will Call window (to the right as you enter The VETS). To request a reprint, email boxoffice@riphil.org or call (401) 248-7000 and include the name the tickets were purchased under, which ticket(s) you need reprinted, and what name you’d like them held under at Will Call. You will receive a confirmation message when printed and ready for pickup at the Will Call window. If you need a reprint within 30 minutes of showtime, please come directly to the Will Call window. 

Yes, you can purchase tickets or subscriptions for other RI Philharmonic Orchestra events. The Box Office at The VETS is open one hour before each concert.

If you are unable to use your concert ticket(s), we encourage you to donate them back to the RI Philharmonic to be used by another patron. To turn back your tickets, email boxoffice@riphil.org or call (401) 248-7000 and include the name the tickets were purchased under, date of the event, and which ticket(s) you would like to donate.

There is a post-concert Q&A following most Friday Amica Rush Hour and Saturday TACO Classical concerts. 

Visit donate.riphil.org or contact Laurie Johnson-Carvalho at (401) 248-7034 or ljohnson-carvalho@riphil.org

For most concerts, paid parking in The VETS parking lot directly across from the front entrance of the auditorium is available for $25 on entrance, cash and cards accepted. The entrance to this lot is on Park Street, about a half block north of Avenue of the Arts. Paid parking is also available in the Providence Place Mall garage located directly behind The VETS. The North Entrance is on Hayes Street. Parking is $2 for 5 hours. To exit the lot on foot, take the North elevators or stairs to level “P2.” This will bring you to street level directly behind the theater. Walk up the hill to enter at the theater’s front entrance. On-street metered parking is available on Francis and Smith streets. Very limited accessible parking is available in the circle directly in front of The VETS on a first-come-first-served basis. 

Free parking is available at the State parking lot located on the south side of Smith Street next to the State House. **Please note: Although the parking lot is lit, it is open and exposed. Please hide your valuable items and lock your vehicle.**

For all Saturday evening TACO Classical Series concerts, the annual Handel’s Messiah concert and the annual Gala concert, the RI Phil runs a free trolley shuttle between the State parking lot on Smith Street and The VETS before the concert, starting approximately an hour and 15 minutes before the concert until approximately 10 minutes after the start of the concert. This shuttle does not run during intermission. After the concert, the shuttle will usually pick up at the same stop as pre-concert drop off. This is typically the corner of Park Street and Avenue of the Arts, but may vary based on traffic and road access. The shuttle runs until just after the post-concert Q&A. If there is no post-concert Q&A, the shuttle will run until the hall is empty.