- Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Infobox Theatre
name = "The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts"
Verizon Hall and Perelman Theater
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address = 260 South Broad Street
city = Philadelphia
country = USA
designation =
latitude =
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architect = Rafael Viñoly Architects, PC
owner = Kimmel Center, Inc.
capacity = Verizon Hall, 2,500 seats
Perelman Theater, 650 seats
type =Concert Hall
Recital Theater
opened =December 16 ,2001
yearsactive =
rebuilt =
closed =
othernames =
production = Verizon Hall: The Philadelphia Orchestra,Peter Nero and thePhilly Pops
Perelman Theater: American Theater Arts for Youth,The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia , Philadanco,Philadelphia Chamber Music Society
currentuse =
website = www.kimmelcenter.org/The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is a large
performing arts venue located on Broad Street, along the stretch known as the "Avenue of the Arts", in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania . It is owned and operated by Kimmel Center, Inc., an organization which also managed theAcademy of Music in Philadelphia. The center is named after philanthropist Sidney Kimmel.The architect of the Center was
Rafael Viñoly , and the acoustician wasArtec Consultants . The Kimmel Center opened in an unfinished state onDecember 16 ,2001 . Numerous cost overruns and construction delays led to the filing of a lawsuit in2005 by officials of the Kimmel Center against Viñoly.ref_label|1|1|1 The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed sum.The Center is the home of the
Philadelphia Orchestra , one of America's "Big Five" symphony orchestras and regarded as one of the best in the world. Currently, the Principal Conductor isCharles Dutoit .Other resident performing arts organizations at the Kimmel Center include the
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia ,Philadanco and thePhiladelphia Chamber Music Society . It is also home to a performance series known as "Kimmel Center Presents", which hosts a variety of jazz, classical, and world pop performers.Performance and other facilities
All are located under a distinctive vaulted glass ceiling. The Center itself is a popular attraction, keeping its doors open to the public seven days a week. It hosts thousands of visitors annually who are able to take free tours of the facility.
* Verizon Hall, with 2,500 seats, is the main performance auditorium. It contains a pipe organ by
Dobson Pipe Organ Builders , which is the largest mechanical action pipe organ in an American concert hall.
* Perelman Theater, with 650 seats, has a 75-foot-diameter turntable stage that permits the space to be used as a recital hall or a proscenium theater with a stage, fly-loft and orchestra pit.
* Dorrance H. Hamilton Roof Garden built on top of the Perelman Theater.
* Smaller performance spaces and meeting rooms.Other noteworthy programs
The Kimmel Center offers a variety of other programs besides concerts, specifically in the field of education. The Kimmel Center is home to their very own Youth Jazz Orchestra called The Kimmel Center Youth Jazz Ensemble (KCYJE). This Ensemble includes many of the best youth jazz musicians in the Philadelphia/New Jersey Area. The Ensemble is recognized as a youth version of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.
See also
*
List of major concert halls External links
* [http://www.kimmelcenter.org Official website]
* [http://www.blog.kimmelcenter.org Kimmel Center Blog]
* [http://www.philorch.org Philadelphia Orchestra website]
* [http://www.ticketphiladelphia.org Ticket Philadelphia website]References
* cite news |first=|last=|pages=B2 |title=Kimmel architect sued for 'errors and delays |date=November 30, 2005 |publisher=The News Journal reprinting of a piece from the
Associated Press |url=
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