The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center is
owned and managed by the City of Dallas, and is home to the
world-class Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The Concert Hall is
also used extensively by other Dallas based cultural organizations,
including the Turtle Creek Chorale, the Dallas Wind Symphony,
the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra and other emerging cultural
groups.
"Quite simply, the Meyerson is one
of the greatest concert halls in the world. Not only is it
visually spectacular, but the hall is as close to acoustical
perfection as any I have experienced."
- Andrew Litton
The Meyerson Symphony center offers ongoing tours by appointment. In addition, once a month and schedule permitting, a thirty-minute
demonstration of the Lay Family Concert Organ is presented,
followed by a tour of the Center. The Tour Program is faithfully
coordinated by the Greater Dallas Section of the National
Council of Jewish Women.
The centerpiece of the Meyerson is the McDermott
Concert Hall, a European "shoebox" style music Chamber,
designed to establish intimacy between performer and audience.
The salient features of the McDermott Hall include reverberation
space around the top of the hall concealed behind 74 thick
concrete doors weighing 2.5 tons each. These chamber doors
can be opened and closed to increase or reduce reverberance.
In addition, 56 acoustical curtains, within the concert hall
and reverberation chamber, help diminish sound vibrations
dependent upon use of the hall. A system of canopies weighing
more than 42 tons is suspended above the stage and can be
raised, lowered, or tilted to reflect the sound throughout
the audience chamber. The canopies also assist the musicians
in hearing one another and in accurately assessing the nuances
of their own playing.
Photo Credit: Center image and virtual tour by Mike Itashiki
