Darke Hall is a 470 seat performance hall located in

Regina, Saskatchewan Regina ( ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 Canadian census, ...

, Canada. The hall was named for Francis Nicholson Darke, the former mayor of Regina. Designed by architect J.H. Puntin, the hall was built in 1928 and had its inaugural concert opening on 6 January 1929. While the hall currently serves as the main performance venue for the Conservatory of Music at the

University of Regina The University of Regina is a public university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the University of Saskatchewan as a j ...

, for many years the venue was the city of Regina's main concert hall and the home of the

Regina Symphony Orchestra The Regina Symphony Orchestra (RSO) was founded by Frank Laubach, in Regina, Saskatchewan, as the Regina Orchestral Society in 1908, giving its inaugural concert December 3 of that same year. Becoming the Regina Choral and Orchestral Society in 1 ...

. That changed after the

Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts The Conexus Arts Centre, known from 1970 till 2006 (and still largely known) as the Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts, is a theatre complex located within Wascana Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, which largely replaces former theatres down ...

opened in 1970. Many notable entertainers have performed at Darke Hall, including Barra MacNeils,

Jorge Bolet Jorge Bolet (November 15, 1914October 16, 1990) was a Cuban-born American concert pianist, conductor and teacher. Among his teachers were Leopold Godowsky, and Moriz Rosenthal – the latter a renowned pupil of Franz Liszt. Life Bolet was born ...

, Jane Coop,

Denise Djokic Denise Djokic (born 13 November 1980) is a cellist from Halifax, Nova Scotia. ''The Strad'' magazine has called her instantly recognizable for her "arrestingly beautiful tone colour". Career Djokic is a native of Halifax. She grew up in a large mus ...

Marjorie Lawrence Marjorie Florence Lawrence Commander of the Order of the British Empire, CBE (17 February 190713 January 1979) was an Australian dramatic soprano, particularly noted as an interpreter of Richard Wagner's operas. She was the first Metropolitan ...

, Nino Martini,

Nan Merriman Katherine Ann Merriman (April 28, 1920 – July 22, 2012) was an American operatic mezzo-soprano. Biography A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she performed with her pianist brother, J. Vick O'Brien (later president of the Pittsburgh Nationa ...

Jan Peerce Jan Peerce (born Yehoshua Pinkhes Perelmuth; June 3, 1904 December 15, 1984) was an American operatic tenor. Peerce was an accomplished performer on the operatic and Broadway concert stages, in solo recitals, and as a recording artist. He is ...

Sarah Slean Sarah Hope Slean (born June 21, 1977) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, composer and musician. She has released eleven albums to date (including EPs and live albums). She is also a poet, visual artist, and occasional actress. Career Major recordi ...

Teresa Stratas Teresa Stratas (born May 26, 1938) is a Canadian operatic soprano and actress of Greeks, Greek descent. She is especially well known for her award-winning recording of Alban Berg's ''Lulu (opera), Lulu''. She is formally retired. Early life an ...

Jean Watson Jean Watson, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN, LL (AAN) (born July 21, 1940) is an American nurse theorist and nursing professor who is best known for her theory of human caring. She is the author of numerous texts, including ''Nursing: The Philosophy and Sc ...

Hawksley Workman Hawksley Workman (born Ryan Corrigan, March 4, 1975) is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter who has garnered critical acclaim for his blend of cabaret pop and glam rock. Workman has released eleven full-length albums throughout his career. A mul ...

, and

Efrem Zimbalist Efrem Zimbalist (April 21 .S. April 9 1889 – February 22, 1985) was a Russian and American concert violinist, composer, conducting, conductor and director of the Curtis Institute of Music. Early life Efrem Zimbalist was born on April 9, 1 ...

References

{{reflist Buildings and structures in Regina, Saskatchewan Theatres in Saskatchewan Music venues in Saskatchewan