- Northrop Auditorium
-
Exterior of Northrop Auditorium as seen from the Northrop Mall.
Cyrus Northrop Memorial Auditorium is a stage venue at the University of Minnesota's Minneapolis campus named for Cyrus Northrop, the university's second president. Various events are held there, including concerts, ballet performances, and lectures. The structure was built in 1929 and has seating for approximately 4,850 people. There are two levels of seating: the main floor, and a large balcony.
It sits at the north end of Northrop Mall, a grassy area of the core campus which is lined with physics, mathematics, chemistry, and administration buildings, plus Walter Library. Coffman Memorial Union sits at the south end, opposite the auditorium, across Washington Avenue.
From the time of construction until 1974, the building served as home of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (today known as the Minnesota Orchestra). The Metropolitan Opera performed there until 1986.[1] Through the 2008 season, the university's marching band regularly used the building in the fall semester. The band now rehearses at TCF Bank Stadium, though it still uses Northrop for the end of the year indoor concert.
A sizable pipe organ was installed in the building over the course of three or four years beginning in 1932. It is one of the largest organs built by Aeolian-Skinner that still exists, although the exact size seems to be in dispute. A conservative count records 81 stops, 108 ranks, and 6,963 pipes.[2]
The inscription above the main entryway to the auditorium reads: The University of Minnesota: Founded in the Faith that Men are Ennobled by Understanding; Dedicated to the Advancement of Learning and the Search for Truth; Devoted to the Instruction of Youth and the Welfare of the State. (punctuation added for clarity)
Beginning in February 2011, the auditorium will undergo extensive interior renovation. Work is expected to be completed in 2013.
References
- ^ Ulrich, Paul S. ed.. "SIBMAS International Directory of Performing Arts Collections and Institutions". SIBMAS - International Association of Libraries and Museums of the Performing Arts. http://www.sibmas.org/idpac/collections/me.html. Retrieved 2007-06-30.
- ^ "University of Minnesota: Northrop Auditorium". International Organ Foundation. http://www.blackiris.com/organs/iof/showentry.php?file=00102700018. Retrieved 2006-02-26.
External links
Categories:- University of Minnesota
- Buildings and structures in Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Concert halls in the United States
- Visitor attractions in Minneapolis, Minnesota
- University of Minnesota stubs
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
