Why Strathmore's Concert Hall Sounds So Good
Form Follows Function in the Music Center
By PJ Feinstein
Since opening in February 2005, the 1,976-seat Concert Hall at Strathmore’s Music Center has been celebrated for both its architectural beauty and acoustic precision. Designed by the team responsible for Seiji Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Concert Hall features a classic shoebox design that promotes balanced sound distribution. Its maple floors, white birch walls, and bronze metal grillage combine form and function, contributing to the hall’s warm, inviting ambiance.
“The hall creates an intimacy, celebrating the audience coming together as a community,” says architect William L. Rawn III.
One of the Concert Hall’s standout features is an adjustable system that allows sound engineers to tailor the acoustics for different types of performances. Whether hosting a symphony orchestra, a jazz ensemble, a pop singer, or a bluegrass band, these adjustments fine-tune the reverberation time and sound diffusion to match the needs of each performance.
“Artists tell us that performing here feels different than most other halls,” says Artistic Director and Vice President of Programming Joi Brown. “Unlike traditional venues with heavy curtains and lots of separation between artists and audience, the acoustics, and the curved seating put audiences closer to artists.”
Arturo O'Farrill and Dr. Cornel West at Strathmore in 2018 (photo by Jim Saah)
Pianist and composer Arturo O’Farrill, returning to the Concert Hall in March 2025 with his Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, agrees. “Strathmore is a treasured and distinguished venue,” he says. “The theater has some of the finest acoustics I’ve heard. If you listen carefully, you will hear the souls of the artists and audience members who have shared in this sacred space.”