Orchestra Hall – A Centennial Celebration
Tune in Sunday, April 3 at 5 p.m. for a special rebroadcast in honor of Anne Parsons.
Parsons, the President Emeritus of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, who led the DSO for more than 17 years, died on March 28 following a courageous battle with cancer. Read more about Parsons’ impact on the community here from 90.9 WRCJ.
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There have been many changes since Orchestra Hall’s opening night on Oct. 23, 1919. Times of peace. Times of war. Times of change in the city around it. Music filling the perfectly engineered acoustical masterpiece has ebbed and flowed, changed direction and even, for a time, was silenced. Yet, despite a storied past, its impeccable clarity and charm remain today, some 100 years later. This documentary originally aired in December 2019.
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Looking at Orchestra Hall on Woodward Avenue today, it’s unbelievable to think that such an iconic fixture of the Arts could be built in a matter of months. There have been many changes since Orchestra Hall’s opening night on Oct. 23, 1919. Times of peace. Times of war. Times of change in the city around it. Music filling the perfectly engineered acoustical masterpiece has ebbed and flowed, changed direction and even, for a time, was silenced.
It has been home to the fourth oldest symphony orchestra in North America as well as the most important venue for African American musical entertainment in Detroit. Over the decades, Orchestra Hall has welcomed some of the greatest performers in history, from Richard Strauss, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Anna Pavlova to Duke Ellington, Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong. It has been adorned with accolades and attention but then left to decay, saved at the last minute from a wrecking ball’s destruction. Yet, despite a storied past, its impeccable clarity and charm remain today, some 100 years later.
Orchestra Hall – A Centennial Celebration serialized the story of Orchestra Hall across six “webisodes” distributed every week across DPTV’s broadcast and social media platforms, including WRCJ 90.9FM, beginning October 2019 to coincide with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s centennial efforts. This culminated with a 90-minute pledge event on Detroit Public TV December 2, 2019.
