The Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, often referred to simply as the Meyerhoff, is a

music venue A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from a small coffeehouse for folk music shows, an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. ...

that opened September 16, 1982, at 1212 Cathedral Street in the

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...

neighborhood of

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, United States. The main auditorium has a

seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...

of 2,443 and is home to the

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore SO has its principal residence at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, where it performs more than 130 concerts a year. In 2005, it beg ...

. It is named for

Joseph Meyerhoff Joseph Meyerhoff (April 8, 1899 – February 2, 1985) was an American businessman, fundraiser, and philanthropist based in Baltimore, Maryland. His son is Harvey Meyerhoff. Biography Meyerhoff was born in Poltava in what is now Ukraine, then ...

, a

Ukrainian-Jewish The history of the Jews in Ukraine dates back over a thousand years; Jewish communities have existed in the territory of Ukraine from the time of the Kievan Rus' (late 9th to mid-13th century). Some of the most important Jewish religious a ...

Baltimore businessman, philanthropist, and arts patron who served as president of the Baltimore Symphony from 1965 to 1983.

Architecture

The modern style structure was designed by the architectural firms of

Pietro Belluschi Pietro Belluschi (August 18, 1899 – February 14, 1994) was an Italian-American architect. A leading figure in modern architecture, he was responsible for the design of over 1,000 buildings.Belluschi, Pietro. (2007). In ''Encyclopædia Britannic ...

, Inc. and Jung/Brannen Associates. Ground was broken November 10, 1978. Acoustical design was by

Bolt, Beranek and Newman Raytheon BBN (originally Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc.) is an American research and development company, based next to Fresh Pond in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. In 1966, the Franklin Institute awarded the firm the Frank P. Brown ...

and uses a series of convex curves to avoid flat surfaces or ninety-degree angles inside the hall. The auditorium is oval, its cylindrical wall extends the entire height of the building with the roof sloping down over the stage area. The exterior surface of the cylinder is covered in brown brick and rises through the lobby to be clearly discernible on the exterior of the building. Backstage areas are housed in a concentric oval which projects from the rear of the building while the lobby and patron areas are housed under a sloping metal roof which extends from the building's front. The exterior lobby walls feature large expanses of glass to open the building to the plaza which surrounds it. The auditorium ceiling ranges from a height of above the stage to at the rear wall. The walls of the stage are covered in a light-colored wood and feature box seats. Suspended above the stage originally were 52 precast concrete "clouds" which helped diffuse sound. In 1990, management added an extensive set of sound diffusers to improve the sound that the musicians heard on stage. These were removed as unsatisfactory after several seasons, and replaced in 2001 as part of a renovation project. The five-year project began in 1997 and also included a new stage lighting system, new stage risers and equipment lift, expanded storage and performer dressing rooms, increased patron washrooms and improved access for patrons with physical disabilities. The stage is wide and deep. To accommodate a chorus, the rear wall moves to provide an additional of space. In addition to the main auditorium, the facility includes the John Gidwitz Recital Hall, reception and meeting rooms and administrative offices. The Meyerhoff is immediately adjacent to the Cultural Center Station on the

Baltimore Light Rail Baltimore Light RailLink (formerly Baltimore Light Rail, and also known simply as the "Light Rail") is a light rail system serving Baltimore, Maryland, United States, as well as its surrounding suburbs. It is operated by the Maryland Transit ...

, and within walking distance of the State Center Station on the

Baltimore Metro Subway The Metro SubwayLink is a rapid transit line serving the greater area of Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States, and is operated by the Maryland Transit Administration. The segment in Downtown Baltimore is underground, and most of the line ...

History

The idea of a new home for the Orchestra was first raised in 1969 by then conductor

Sergiu Comissiona Sergiu Comissiona (June 16, 1928 – March 5, 2005) was a Romanian- Israeli- American conductor and violinist. Biography Early life Born in Bucharest, Romania in a Jewish family, he began violin studies at the age of five, was hired as a viol ...

and executive director Joseph Leavitt. The orchestra's home at the time was the Lyric Opera House and frequent scheduling conflicts forced the musicians to rehearse in school gymnasiums and prepare for concerts in dark and cramped backstage areas of the Opera House. Major funding for construction came from a donation by Meyerhoff and grants from the State of Maryland and City of Baltimore. At the opening concert, Comissiona led the Orchestra in a world premiere performance of ''Housewarming'' by

Morton Gould Morton Gould (December 10, 1913February 21, 1996) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, and pianist. Biography Morton Gould was born in Richmond Hill, New York, United States. He was recognized early as a child prodigy with abilities i ...

which was commissioned for the occasion. Other works on the program included ''Symphonic Variations'' by

César Franck César-Auguste Jean-Guillaume Hubert Franck (; 10 December 1822 – 8 November 1890) was a French Romantic composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher born in modern-day Belgium. He was born in Liège (which at the time of his birth was pa ...

featuring pianist

Leon Fleisher Leon Fleisher (July 23, 1928 – August 2, 2020) was an American classical pianist, conductor and pedagogue. He was one of the most renowned pianists and pedagogues in the world. Music correspondent Elijah Ho called him "one of the most re ...

and ''Ein Heldenleben'' by

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard W ...

References

External links

About the Meyerhoff

Meyerhoff Symphony Hall on Google Street View
{{Authority control Pietro Belluschi buildings Concert halls in the United States Tourist attractions in Baltimore Music venues in Baltimore Mount Vernon, Baltimore

Architecture

History

See also

References

External links