Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Encyclopedia
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 manages the Academy of Music
in Philadelphia. The center is named after philanthropist Sidney Kimmel
.
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.
Other resident performing arts organizations at the Kimmel Center include the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
, Philadanco and the Philadelphia 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.
and the Verizon Foundation.
The architect of the Center was Rafael Viñoly
, and the acoustician was Artec Consultants. The Kimmel Center officially opened in an unfinished state on December 16, 2001. This followed a gala preview on December 14 featuring performances by Andr%C3%A9 Watts, Denyce Graves
, Frederica von Stade
and Sir Elton John
and the Philadelphia Orchestra premier at Verizon Hall on December 15. Numerous cost overruns and construction delays led to the filing of a lawsuit in 2005 by officials of the Kimmel Center against Viñoly. The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed sum.
Additionally, The Kimmel Center holds a Teen Summer Arts Camp every year. Ten-day programs are offered in chamber music, choral/vocal music, and jazz.
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
venue located on Broad Street
Broad Street (Philadelphia)
Broad Street is a major arterial street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is nearly 13 miles long.It is Pennsylvania Route 611 along its entire length with the exception of its northernmost part between Old York Road and Pennsylvania Route 309 and the southernmost part south of Interstate 95...
, along the stretch known as the "Avenue of the Arts", in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It is owned and operated by Kimmel Center, Inc., an organization which also manages the Academy of Music
Academy of Music (Philadelphia)
The Academy of Music, also known as American Academy of Music, is a concert hall and opera house located at Broad and Locust Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1857 and is the oldest opera house in the United States that is still used for its original purpose...
in Philadelphia. The center is named after philanthropist Sidney Kimmel
Sidney Kimmel
Sidney Kimmel is a film producer also working as such under the names Caesar Kimmel and Sydney Kimmel. Some of his many films include Death at a Funeral and The Kite Runner...
.
The Center is the home of the Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
, one of America's Big Five symphony orchestras
Big Five (orchestras)
In the context of classical music in the United States, the Big Five refers to five symphony orchestras that were considered to be the most prominent and accomplished ensembles when the term gained widespread use by music critics in the late 1950s...
and regarded as one of the best in the world.
Other resident performing arts organizations at the Kimmel Center include the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
A founding resident company of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia is a 33-member professional ensemble led by Dirk Brossé...
, Philadanco and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society
The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society is a non-profit chamber music and recital forum. It was created, in 1986, by Anthony Checchia and Philip Maneval, its Artistic Director and Executive Director respectively...
. It is also home to a performance series known as "Kimmel Center Presents", which hosts a variety of jazz, classical, and world pop performers.
History
In 1986, the Philadelphia Orchestra approved a plan to construct a new concert hall to replace the aging Academy of Music. In 1993, Sidney Kimmel donated $12 million to the project and in 1995, Orchestra and community leaders met to help revitalize the concert hall and also discussed merging it with a venue to house other area organizations and visiting artists. The two projects were officially merged as the Regional Performing Arts Center in 1996 and construction began in 1998. In 2000, the center was named for Stanley Kimmel in recognition of his gift in 1993 and an additional $3 million donation in 1998. The concert hall was named Verizon Hall to recognize contributions totaling $14.5 million in cash, equipment and services from VerizonVerizon Communications
Verizon Communications Inc. is a global broadband and telecommunications company and a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average...
and the Verizon Foundation.
The architect of the Center was Rafael Viñoly
Rafael Viñoly
Rafael Viñoly is an Uruguayan architect living in the United States.-Biography:He was born in Montevideo, Uruguay to Román Viñoly Barreto, and Maria Beceiro ....
, and the acoustician was Artec Consultants. The Kimmel Center officially opened in an unfinished state on December 16, 2001. This followed a gala preview on December 14 featuring performances by Andr%C3%A9 Watts, Denyce Graves
Denyce Graves
Denyce Graves is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer.-Early life:Graves was born on March 7, 1964, to Charles Graves and Dorothy Graves-Kenner. She is the middle of three children and was raised by her mother on Galveston Street, S.W., in the Bellevue section of Washington...
, Frederica von Stade
Frederica von Stade
Frederica von Stade is an American mezzo-soprano. Born in Somerville, New Jersey, she acquired the nickname "Flicka" in her childhood. Von Stade attended the Mannes College of Music in New York City. She made her debut with the Metropolitan Opera in 1970 and in 1971 appeared as Cherubino in The...
and Sir Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and the Philadelphia Orchestra premier at Verizon Hall on December 15. Numerous cost overruns and construction delays led to the filing of a lawsuit in 2005 by officials of the Kimmel Center against Viñoly. The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed sum.
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 BuildersDobson Pipe Organ BuildersDobson Pipe Organ Builders is a manufacturer of pipe organs based in Lake City, Iowa.The company was founded in 1974 by Lynn A. Dobson, who serves as President and Artistic Director. The company has produced over 80 instruments of a wide variety of sizes and restored a number of historic organs. ...
, which is the largest mechanical action pipe organ in an American concert hall. - Perelman Theater, with 650 seats, has a 75 feet (22.9 m)-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 located above 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.Additionally, The Kimmel Center holds a Teen Summer Arts Camp every year. Ten-day programs are offered in chamber music, choral/vocal music, and jazz.