Concert Halls
Off To Nashville
Fri, Dec 12, 2010
by Drew McManus
I’m in Nashville today for the Nashville Symphony Orchestra’s (NSO) big Grand Re-Opening concert that begins tonight at 9:00pm CT and as of now, the concert is sold out so it promises to be an exciting affair. I’m touring the facilities today to get a firsthand look at the $42 million dollars in repairs and
Building Concert Halls, Part 3: How to ensure success
Fri, Dec 12, 2010
In contrast to the “outside in approach” discussed in my last installment, great concert hall design starts with accommodating the essential requirements of both performers and audience, then moving outward in its architectural expression for support areas and public spaces….an “inside out approach”. There is an old expression: “form follows function” which today’s designers of
Building Concert Halls, Part 2: Well-worn paths to failure
Thu, Dec 12, 2010
Performing arts venues are built for a variety of reasons, artistic, social, and political. Their operational success can often be predicted by how these reasons are prioritized. Halls built primarily for political reasons such as prestige and civic pride sometimes overlook basic needs and desires of performers and audiences in favor of some grand architectural
Building Concert Halls, Part 1: What makes a great concert hall?
Wed, Dec 12, 2010
In 2002 my company, Akustiks, was hired to design a new concert hall for the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra had been playing for many years in a large multi-purpose theater under the direction of Maestro Kenneth Schermerhorn. Increasing difficulties in scheduling the theater to accommodate what was becoming a full-time orchestra in part led
Doing Their Jobs In Nashville
Wed, May 5, 2010
by Drew McManus
Like most of the Nashville area, the Schermerhorn Symphony Center (SSC), home of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra (NSO), is enduring the impact of severe floods. Located less than a few thousand feet from the banks of the Cumberland River, the SSC did endure intense flooding. I spoke with NSO president & CEO Alan Valentine, via
