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52-619: David Geffen Hall is a concert hall at Lincoln Center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The 2,200-seat auditorium opened in 1962, and is the home of the New York Philharmonic . The facility, designed by Max Abramovitz , was originally named Philharmonic Hall and was renamed Avery Fisher Hall in honor of philanthropist Avery Fisher , who donated $ 10.5 million ($ 72 million today) to

104-491: A 2,400 seat "shoebox" design with narrowly spaced parallel sides (similar in shape to the acoustically acclaimed Symphony Hall, Boston ). Lincoln Center officials initially agreed with the recommendation, and BBN provided a series of design specifications and recommendations. However, the New York Herald Tribune began a campaign to increase the seating capacity of the new hall and late in the design stage it

156-411: A 4,800-pipe Aeolian-Skinner (Opus 1134) was designed by G. Donald Harrison , installed in 1949, and autographed by Albert Schweitzer . It replaced the hall's first organ, built in 1900 by George S. Hutchings of Boston, which was electrically keyed, with 62 ranks of nearly 4,000 pipes set in a chamber 12 feet (3.7 m) deep and 40 feet (12 m) high. The Hutchings organ had fallen out of fashion by

208-402: A compressed wool underlayment and hardened steel cut nails, hammered in by hand. The vertical grain fir subfloor from 1899 was in excellent shape and was left in place. The nails used in the new floor were hand cut using the same size and construction as the originals and the back channeling on the original maple top boards was replicated as well. Beethoven 's name is inscribed over the stage,

260-420: A cost of $ 771,000. The hall was inaugurated on October 15, 1900, Architects McKim, Mead and White engaged Wallace Clement Sabine , a young assistant professor of physics at Harvard University , as their acoustical consultant, and Symphony Hall became one of the first auditoria designed in accordance with scientifically derived acoustical principles. Admired for its lively acoustics from the time of its opening,

312-544: A major name on a great New York jewel." Fisher's three children agreed to the deal for $ 15 million. In September 2015, Geffen donated $ 100 million for the Hall's renovation, and the Hall was renamed for him. Geffen's donation of $ 100 million was seen as a jump-start for the planned renovation, but on October 3, 2017, the Philharmonic announced that existing renovation plans for the Hall had been scrapped. In December 2019, it

364-669: A renovation. The main auditorium was renamed the Tsai Hall after a $ 50 million donation from Joseph Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai . Architects who designed buildings at the center include: The center has 30 indoor and outdoor performance facilities including: The center serves as home for eleven resident arts organizations: Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (LCPA) is one of the eleven resident organizations, and serves as presenter of artistic programming, leader in arts and education and community relations, and manager of

416-518: A sloping lawn roof, the film center is part of a new pavilion that also houses a destination restaurant named Lincoln, as well as offices. Subsequent projects were added which addressed improvements to the main plazas and Columbus Avenue Grand Stairs. Under the direction of the Lincoln Center Development Project, Diller Scofidio + Renfro in association with FXFOWLE Architects and Beyer Blinder Belle Architects provided

468-481: A tragic poet with the head of Euripides (Vatican); Diana of Versailles (Paris); On the left, starting near the stage: Resting Satyr ( Praxiteles , Rome); Wounded Amazon ( Polycleitus , Berlin); Hermes Logios (Paris); Lemnian Athena (Dresden, with head in Bologna); The Lateran Sophocles (Vatican); Standing Anacreon (Copenhagen); Aeschines (Naples); Apollo Belvedere (Rome). The Symphony Hall organ,

520-709: Is host to 5 million visitors annually. It houses internationally renowned performing arts organizations including the New York Philharmonic , the Metropolitan Opera , the New York City Ballet , the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Juilliard School . A consortium of civic leaders and others, led by and under the initiative of philanthropist John D. Rockefeller III , built Lincoln Center as part of

572-431: Is large (around 2,600 seats) and the sidewalls are too far apart to provide early reflections to the center seats. The ceiling is high to increase reverberation time but the clouds are too high to reinforce early reflections adequately. The bass is weak because the very large stage does not adequately reinforce the low string instruments. In December 1977, High Fidelity magazine published an article that stated members of

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624-410: Is the plan to do it." Diamond Schmitt was appointed Design and Executive Architect and led the complete redesign of the hall's new concert theater and overall masterplan; with Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects guiding the design of the public spaces. The new design includes a more compact hall, open social areas with bars, and video walls for live streaming performances and other events. Plans for

676-920: The London Symphony Orchestra , the Singapore Symphony Orchestra , the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra , and the Kirov Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre. The PBS series Live from Lincoln Center also features performances from the Hall. Composer Samuel Barber was commissioned to write his Piano Concerto for the opening of the venue, and the work was premiered at the inaugural concert on September 24, 1962 with pianist John Browning . An early television concert from Philharmonic Hall featured Leonard Bernstein and

728-635: The Metropolitan Opera House were opened in 1962, 1964, and 1966, respectively. It is unclear whether the center was named as a tribute to U.S. President Abraham Lincoln or for its location in the Lincoln Square Neighborhood. The name was bestowed on the area in 1906 by the New York City Board of Aldermen , but records give no reason for choosing that name. There has long been speculation that

780-491: The Musikverein , stated that "for much music, it is even better... because of its slightly lower reverberation time." In 2006, due to years of wear and tear, the original concert stage floor was replaced at a cost of $ 250,000. In order to avoid any change to the sound of the hall, the new floor was built using same methods and materials as the original. These included tongue-in-groove, three-quarter inch, hard maple boards,

832-498: The "Lincoln Square Renewal Project" during Robert Moses 's program of New York's urban renewal in the 1950s and 1960s. Respected architects were contracted to design the major buildings on the site. Rockefeller was appointed as the Lincoln Center's inaugural president in 1956, and once he resigned, became its chairman in 1961. He is credited with raising more than half of the $ 184.5 million in private funds needed to build

884-549: The $ 550 million renovation of David Geffen Hall, from 2020 to 2022, was to improve the acoustics in the main concert hall. According to Zachary Woolfe of The New York Times , the renovation substantially improved the acoustics, but some significant acoustical problems remained. David Geffen Hall is used today for many events, both musical and non-musical. As part of its Great Performers series, Lincoln Center presents visiting orchestras in David Geffen Hall, such as

936-460: The 1940s when lighter, clearer tones became preferred. E. Power Biggs , often a featured organist for the orchestra, lobbied hard for a thinner bass sound and accentuated treble. The 1949 Aeolian-Skinner reused and modified more than 60% of the existing Hutchings pipes and added 600 new pipes in a Positive division. The original diapason pipes, 32 feet (9.8 m) in length, were reportedly sawed into manageable pieces for disposal in 1948. In 2003,

988-709: The British architect Norman Foster in 2005, but did not approve a full scale redesign until 2012, in part because of the need to raise $ 300 million in construction costs and the New York Philharmonic's fear that it might lose audiences and revenue while it was displaced. Among the architects that have been involved were Frank Gehry ; Cooper, Robertson & Partners ; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill ; Beyer Blinder Belle ; Fox & Fowle ; Olin Partnership ; and Diller & Scofidio . In March 2006,

1040-497: The Hall through June 13, 2021. On October 3, 2022, the main concert hall was renamed the Wu Tsai Theater in honor of a $ 50 million donation from Joseph Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai . The hall reopened on October 8, 2022, following a $ 550 million renovation. Architects hired the acoustical consulting division of Bolt, Beranek and Newman (BBN) to design the original interior acoustics for the hall. Their acousticians recommended

1092-618: The Lincoln Center Institute's educational background and archives. Lincoln Center Cultural Innovation Fund is the first of its kind as a grant program that seeks to make the arts accessible to all people, focusing on those who live in some of New York City's poorest neighborhoods. Partnering with the Rockefeller Foundation , the new pilot grant program offers one-time grants to non-profit organizations to provide cultural activities in these communities in

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1144-539: The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, was the Fordham Law School of Fordham University . In 1961, Fordham Law School was the first building to open as part of the renewal project, and in 1968, Fordham College at Lincoln Center welcomed its first students. The development of the condominium at 3 Lincoln Center, completed in 1991, designed by Lee Jablin of Harman Jablin Architects, made possible

1196-448: The New York Philharmonic in one of their Young People's Concerts . It was the first of many concerts televised from Philharmonic Hall, which had been previously televised from Carnegie Hall beginning in 1958. The 1962 program concentrated on concert hall acoustics, and, like the opening night concert, was shown over the CBS television network. It was entitled "The Sound of a Hall". It was

1248-442: The New York Philharmonic, and a host of operatic stars such as Eileen Farrell and Robert Merrill , was televised live on CBS . The opening week of concerts included performances by a specially invited list of guest orchestras (Boston, Philadelphia, and Cleveland), who regularly appeared at Carnegie Hall each season, as well as the new hall's resident ensemble. Several reporters panned the hall, while at least two conductors praised

1300-468: The Philharmonic disliked the sound so much they referred to the venue as "A Very Fishy Hall." In 1992, under the tenure of Kurt Masur with the New York Philharmonic, several solid maple wood convex surfaces were installed on the side walls and suspended from the ceiling of the stage to improve acoustics. The maple was specially selected to minimize its grain pattern. The new components are filled with fiberglass to deaden vibrations. The ongoing problems with

1352-416: The acoustics. While the initial intention had been that Philharmonic Hall would replace Carnegie Hall, which could then be demolished, that did not happen. Management made several attempts to remedy the induced acoustical problems, with little success, leading to a substantial 1970s renovation designed by acoustician Cyril Harris in conjunction with project architect Philip Johnson . It included demolishing

1404-542: The arts as well as increase the range and availability of cultural activities to underserved communities. Notes Bibliography Symphony Hall, Boston On June 12, 1899, ground was broken and construction began on Symphony Hall after the Orchestra's original home (the Old Boston Music Hall ) was threatened by road-building and subway construction. The building was completed 17 months later at

1456-472: The building was to be left intact, and work was to focus on improving the hall's acoustics, modernizing patron amenities, and reconfiguring the auditorium. On November 13, 2014, Lincoln Center officials announced their intention to remove Avery Fisher's name from the Hall and sell naming rights to the highest bidder as part of a $ 500 million fundraising campaign for its refurbishment. Lincoln Center chairwoman Katherine Farley said, "It will be an opportunity for

1508-494: The center launched construction on a major redevelopment plan that modernized, renovated, and opened up its campus. Redevelopment was completed in 2012 with the completion of the President's Bridge over West 65th Street. When first announced in 1999, Lincoln Center's campus-wide redevelopment was to cost $ 1.5 billion over 10 years and radically transform the campus. The center management held an architectural competition, won by

1560-500: The center launched the 65th Street Project – part of a major redevelopment plan continuing through the fall of 2012 – to create a new pedestrian promenade designed to improve accessibility and the aesthetics of that area of the campus. Additionally, Alice Tully Hall was modernized and reopened to critical and popular acclaim in 2009 and Film at Lincoln Center expanded with the new Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center. Topped by

1612-781: The center's campus. LCPA has some 5,000 programs, initiatives, and events annually, and its programs include American Songbook, Great Performers, Lincoln Center Festival, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Midsummer Night Swing, the Mostly Mozart Festival , Target Free Thursdays, the White Light Festival and the Emmy Award –winning Live from Lincoln Center . In July 2006, the LCPA announced it would join with publishing company John Wiley & Sons to publish at least 15 books on performing arts, and would draw on

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1664-555: The complex, including drawing from his own funds; the Rockefeller Brothers Fund also contributed to the project. Numerous architects were hired to build different parts of the center (see § Architects ). The center's first three buildings, David Geffen Hall (formerly Avery Fisher Hall, originally named Philharmonic Hall), David H. Koch Theater (formerly the New York State Theater), and

1716-565: The design services. Additionally, Turner Construction Company and RCDolner, LLC were the construction managers for the projects. Another component to redevelopment was the addition of the David Rubenstein Atrium designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects , a visitors' center and a gateway to the center that offers free performances, day-of-discount tickets, food, and free Wi-Fi . Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall (previously Avery Fisher Hall) reopened in 2022 after

1768-481: The diverse neighborhoods of Central Brooklyn and the South Bronx . Each of the 12 grantees will receive support and financial backing for their project based on organizational budget size. These are one-year long projects, and grant amounts range from $ 50,000–$ 100,000. The over-all goal of the program is to support non-profit organizations in creating cultural innovative strategies that cultivate participation in

1820-516: The expansion of The Juilliard School and the School of American Ballet . The center's cultural institutions also have since made use of facilities located away from the main campus. In 2004, the center expanded through the addition of Jazz at Lincoln Center 's newly built facilities, the Frederick P. Rose Hall, at the new Time Warner Center , located a few blocks to the south. In March 2006,

1872-579: The hall is often cited as one of the best sounding classical concert venues in the world. The hall is modeled on the second Gewandhaus concert hall in Leipzig , which was later destroyed in World War II . The Hall is relatively long, narrow, and high, in a rectangular "shoebox" shape like Amsterdam 's Concertgebouw and Vienna 's Musikverein . It is 18.6 metres (61 ft) high, 22.9 metres (75 ft) wide, and 38.1 metres (125 ft) long from

1924-399: The hall's acoustics eventually led the New York Philharmonic to consider a merger with Carnegie Hall in 2003, which would have returned the Philharmonic to Carnegie Hall for most of its concerts each season. However, both sides abandoned talks after four months. In 2005 and 2006, the Mostly Mozart Festival experimented with extending the front of stage to improve acoustics. A major goal of

1976-412: The hall's interior, selling its pipe organ to California's Crystal Cathedral , and rebuilding a new auditorium within the outer framework and facade. While initial reaction to the improvements was favorable and some advocates remained steadfast, overall feelings about the new hall's sound soured and acoustics there continued to be problematic. One assessment by Robert C. Ehle stated: The seating capacity

2028-529: The hall's renovation were accelerated after Lincoln Center closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City . In mid-2020, Borda announced that because of pandemic-related cancellations of performances, Lincoln Center would commence preliminary renovation work on the Hall before the Philharmonic's planned return to performances on January 6, The orchestra later canceled all scheduled performances at

2080-458: The lower back wall to the front of the stage. Stage walls slope inward to help focus the sound. With the exception of its wooden floors, the Hall is built of brick, steel, and plaster, with modest decoration. Side balconies are very shallow to avoid trapping or muffling sound, and the coffered ceiling and statue-filled niches along three sides help provide excellent acoustics to essentially every seat. Conductor Herbert von Karajan , in comparing it to

2132-620: The main venue for the first New York Film Festival in 1963 and is still a festival venue. A February 12, 1964 performance by Miles Davis at Philharmonic Hall to benefit the Mississippi Freedom Summer was released on two albums, My Funny Valentine and Four & More . Bob Dylan performed at Philharmonic Hall on October 31, 1964. The concert was released as The Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964, Concert at Philharmonic Hall in 2004. The Supremes performed there on October 15, 1965. The iconic poster for

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2184-504: The name came from a local landowner, because the square was previously named Lincoln Square. However, property records from the New York Municipal Archives from that time have no record of a Lincoln surname; they only list the names Johannes van Bruch, Thomas Hall, Stephen De Lancey , James De Lancey, James De Lancey Jr. and John Somerindyck . One speculation is that references to President Lincoln were omitted from

2236-591: The only musician's name that appears in the hall since the original directors could agree on no other name but his. The hall's leather seats are the originals installed in 1900. The hall seats 2,625 people during Symphony season and 2,371 during the Pops season, including 800 seats at tables on the main floor. Sixteen casts of notable Greek and Roman statues line the upper level of the hall's walls. Ten are of mythical subjects, and six of historical figures. All were produced by P. P. Caproni and Brother . The casts, as one faces

2288-400: The orchestra announced that the building would undergo renovations in 2009. Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank , was hired in 2005 to design a renovation of the Hall, but he later resigned from the project. In June 2006, The New York Times reported that the construction had been delayed until the summer of 2010. By 2012, the project's start date had been postponed to 2017. The shell of

2340-781: The orchestra in 1973. In November 2014, Lincoln Center officials announced Fisher's name would be removed from the Hall so that naming rights could be sold to the highest bidder as part of a $ 500 million fund-raising campaign to refurbish the Hall. In 2015, the Hall acquired its present name after David Geffen donated $ 100 million to the Lincoln Center. The Hall underwent extensive renovations in 1976, to address acoustical problems that had been present since its opening. Another, smaller renovation attempted to address still-unresolved problems in 1992. Both projects achieved limited success. Lincoln Center invited nine architects to submit plans for Avery Fisher Hall's renovation in 2002, selecting three architecture firms as finalists that June. In May 2004,

2392-469: The organ was thoroughly overhauled by Foley-Baker Inc., reusing its chassis and many pipes, but enclosing the Bombarde and adding to it the long-desired Principal (diapason) pipes, adding a new Solo division, and reworking its chamber for better sound projection. The original 1949 four-manual console was replaced with a low-profile three-manual console, to allow a better line of sight between the organist and

2444-628: The records because the mayor in 1906 was George B. McClellan Jr. , son of General George B. McClellan , who was general-in-chief of the Union Army early in the American Civil War and a bitter rival of Lincoln's. In 1955, the first city institution to commit to be part of the Lincoln Square Renewal Project, an effort to revitalize the city's west side with a new performing arts complex that would become

2496-635: The show was designed by Joe Eula . Simon & Garfunkel recorded their live album Live from New York City, 1967 here on January 22, 1967. In 1995, the star-studded charity show The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True was staged. The show, which starred Jewel , Jackson Browne , Roger Daltrey , and Nathan Lane as the principal characters from the 1939 film, benefited the Children's Defense Fund , and aired subsequently on TNT , TBS , PBS , and VH-1 . The hall hosted

2548-473: The stage are: On the right, starting near the stage: Faun carrying the boy Bacchus (Roman copy of an original from the Hellenistic Period. Naples); Apollo Citharoedus (Roman artist. Excavated from Cassius' Villa near Tivoli in 1774. Vatican); Young Woman of (Excavated from Herculaneum in 1711. Dresden); Dancing Faun (Rome); Demosthenes (Rome); Seated Anacreon (Copenhagen); Statue of

2600-612: The world premiere of Steven Spielberg 's film War Horse on December 4, 2011 and the North American premiere of Bradley Cooper 's Maestro , a Leonard Bernstein biopic . Notes Sources Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center ) is a 16.3-acre (6.6-hectare) complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan . It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and

2652-436: Was announced that the plans to renovate the Hall would finally proceed, with construction beginning in 2022. The work included acoustically and aesthetically redesigning it, removing over 500 seats, adding balcony seating wrapping around the entire stage, and making the stage tiered and moving it farther forward. Deborah Borda , the president of the New York Philharmonic, said, "We have to do it right this time, and this, I think,

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2704-416: Was expanded to accommodate the critics' desires, invalidating much of BBN's acoustical work. BBN engineers told Lincoln Center management the hall would sound different from their initial intent, but they could not predict what the changes would do. The first of Lincoln Center's buildings to be completed, Philharmonic Hall opened September 23, 1962, to mixed reviews. The concert, featuring Leonard Bernstein ,

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