The Pennsylvania Academy of Music - Philadelphia, PA

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The Pennsylvania Academy of Music was designed by LeBrun and Ruge, a Philadelphia architectural firm, in 1854. It was the winning submission in a contest to design 'the grandest concert hall in the West.' The Academy was opened during a grand ball on 26 January 1857; it has been in use constantly. The auditorium itself is shaped like an 'open horseshoe,' which is basically the same as a half-ellipse. The open horseshoe allows for greater visibility for the audience. It is surrounded by 3-foot thick brick walls faced with soft pine, in order to absorb sounds. Crowning the hall is a 16-foot-in-diameter crystal chandelier. Electric lights replaced the original 240 gas burners in 1900, but it was rewired in 2007. Despite the name, the Academy is not a school. However, many competitions have occurred there. The Academy does not have excellent acoustics from a performer's point of view, as the large backstage area (designed for rapid set changes during operas) tends to cause very little positive resonance. The acoustic problems have been partially remedied in a series of drastic renovations beginning in 1994. In 2001, the Philadelphia Orchestra moved to the nearby Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. However, the Academy is still frequently used. #Annenberg #Arts #Avenue #Avenue_of_the_Arts #Ball #Ballet #Broad #Concert #Gustavus #Hall #Kimmel #LeBrun #Locust #Market #Napoleon #Of #Orchestra #Penn #Pennsylvania #Performance #Performing #Philadelphia #Ruge #Street #The