Sapporo Concert Hall
Encyclopedia
, also known as its nickname , is a municipal musical venue located in Nakajima Park, Chūō-ku
, Sapporo, Japan
. Established in 1997, the building is owned by Sapporo City, known for having a huge organ built by Alfred Kern & Fils Manufacture D'Orgues in the main music hall.
", an ancient Greek
musical instrument
in the zither
family, and also the term "Kita", which means "north" in Japanese. The building area covers 8,383,291 m² in total, the number of floors is 3 above ground and 2 underground, and the Hokkaido Engineering Consultants Co.,Ltd is the main builder for the concert hall.
The concert hall is home to the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra
, and its regular concert is held in the hall each year. The hall is one of the venues of the Pacific Music Festival (PMF), an event started with the idea of Leonard Bernstein
in 1990.
The arena-style large main hall has a capacity of 28,800 m³, and installs 2,008 seats for audiences. Above the main hall, a huge pipe organ
is installed. The organ was manufactured by an organ builder, Alfred Kern & Fils Manufacture D'Orgues based in Strasbourg, France, and annually an exclusive organ player is invited from overseas. Having 4,976 pipes, the pipe organ is modelled after needle leaved trees in Hokkaidō prefecture.
The shoebox style small chamber music hall has seating capacity
of 453. The restaurant with terrace
is located on the ground floor, and a bar, cafe, are open during the concert. The main concert hall and the small chamber music hall also have seats designed for handicapped audiences.
Chūō-ku, Sapporo
is one of the ten wards in Sapporo city, Japan. Chūō-ku means "central ward" in Japanese. As its name suggests, city administration and entertainment facilities are centred in this ward.- History :...
, Sapporo, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Established in 1997, the building is owned by Sapporo City, known for having a huge organ built by Alfred Kern & Fils Manufacture D'Orgues in the main music hall.
Overview
The building was built on July 4, 1997. Prior to its construction, the nickname for the concert hall "Kitara" has been chosen in March 1995. The nickname is derived from "KitharaKithara
The kithara or cithara was an ancient Greek musical instrument in the lyre or lyra family. In modern Greek the word kithara has come to mean "guitar" ....
", an ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
musical instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
in the zither
Zither
The zither is a musical string instrument, most commonly found in Slovenia, Austria, Hungary citera, northwestern Croatia, the southern regions of Germany, alpine Europe and East Asian cultures, including China...
family, and also the term "Kita", which means "north" in Japanese. The building area covers 8,383,291 m² in total, the number of floors is 3 above ground and 2 underground, and the Hokkaido Engineering Consultants Co.,Ltd is the main builder for the concert hall.
The concert hall is home to the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra
Sapporo Symphony Orchestra
The Sapporo Symphony Orchestra is a professional orchestra based in Sapporo, Japan. The Orchestra has its nickname “Sakkyo” and is a full member of “Association of Japanese Symphony Orchestras.”-Outline:...
, and its regular concert is held in the hall each year. The hall is one of the venues of the Pacific Music Festival (PMF), an event started with the idea of Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
in 1990.
Facilities
The building of the Sapporo Concert Hall houses a large main hall, small chamber music hall, and rehearsal rooms. A restaurant, nursery room, and museum shop are also located in the building.The arena-style large main hall has a capacity of 28,800 m³, and installs 2,008 seats for audiences. Above the main hall, a huge pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
is installed. The organ was manufactured by an organ builder, Alfred Kern & Fils Manufacture D'Orgues based in Strasbourg, France, and annually an exclusive organ player is invited from overseas. Having 4,976 pipes, the pipe organ is modelled after needle leaved trees in Hokkaidō prefecture.
The shoebox style small chamber music hall has seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 453. The restaurant with terrace
Terrace (building)
A terrace is an outdoor, occupiable extension of a building above ground level. Although its physical characteristics may vary to a great degree, a terrace will generally be larger than a balcony and will have an "open-top" facing the sky...
is located on the ground floor, and a bar, cafe, are open during the concert. The main concert hall and the small chamber music hall also have seats designed for handicapped audiences.