You may have heard the name before but might not know much about the building itself, the history of it, and why it’s so famous. The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center is a cultural venue in the heart of Dallas, Texas, that’s worth learning more about. It has a lot of rich history and continues to play a role in the arts and community today. It’s a space dedicated to hosting wonderful concerts with Dallas’s finest performing arts groups.
You may want to consider making a stop here on your next trip to Dallas. It’s a truly unique experience and a concert hall like you’ve never seen or heard before. Continue reading to understand more about the history of the Center and what it has to offer.
History of the Center
The Symphony Hall was the second major building to be designed in the Dallas Arts District after the Art Museum. The 2000-plus-seat concert hall could be acoustically tuned to accommodate a wide variety of performances ranging from solo recitals to full orchestra. Acoustical treatments include a 7.5-ton canopy overhead which can be adjusted, a reverberation chamber, two layers of acoustical curtains that wrap the space, and sound and light locks.
Before the center’s official opening, Dallas’s other venue, located near downtown, was the Fair Park Music Center which had faulty acoustics. The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center was created as a response to the citizens of Dallas desiring a prominent facility for cultural activities and gatherings and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s need for a new home. The mission of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra is and always has been to entertain, inspire and change lives through musical excellence. The goal in Dallas was to create a concert venue as great as Carnegie Hall, as great as the best halls in Europe (and, along the way, save the Dallas Symphony from near-bankruptcy). A public/private partnership ensued between the City of Dallas and the Dallas Symphony Association, which led to efforts to raise a major portion of the needed funds. In September 1989 a new era in the cultural life of Dallas began with the opening of the Meyerson Symphony Center.
The Center is owned by the City of Dallas and operated by the Dallas Symphony Association. The Symphony Center is named for Morton H. Meyerson, the former president of Electronic Data Systems (EDS). EDS founder Ross Perot offered a major gift to ensure the building met the high standards set by its internationally renowned design team: architect I. M. Pei and acoustician Russell Johnson of Artec Consultants. Pei, who as a schoolboy in Shanghai was inspired by its building boom in the 1930s, immigrated to the United States and studied architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. He advanced from his early work of designing office buildings, low-income housing, and mixed-used complexes to a worldwide collection of museums, municipal buildings, and hotels.
Perot chose to honor his friend and colleague by naming the building for Meyerson, who chaired the original building committee and was instrumental in making the Center a reality. The concert hall is named for Eugene McDermott, co-founder of Texas Instruments. The designation was given in response to a significant gift from the Eugene McDermott Foundation in honor of his memory. The hall has accumulated a long list of awards over the years.
Unique Aspects
Opened in 1989, this pioneer of the Dallas Arts District was envisioned by renowned architect I.M. Pei to be a temple to both design and sound. A striking exterior of overlapping geometric forms leads to interiors that play upon the changing perspectives of light and movement. In the concert hall are more geometric shapes and forms, but these were meticulously placed with acoustics and unobstructed sightlines in mind; the result is what has been called one of the top performance spaces in the world, seating 2,062 concertgoers over four floors.
There are a few additional unique and fun facts you should know about the Meyerson Symphony Center. For instance:
- The Meyerson is the only concert hall world-renowned architect I.M. Pei ever designed. He designed dozens of structures during his 60-year career, including the Louvre’s pyramid, Dallas City Hall, and the Kennedy Presidential Library, but the Meyerson is the only concert hall among them.
- The lobby is dressed in marble elegance. American Airlines CEO, Robert Crandall, packed slabs of marble on flights from Italy to Dallas to make it happen.
- There is a curved glass curtain wall which gives the building its character.
- The Meyerson Symphony Center also is home to the 4,535 pipe C.B. Fisk Opus 100 organ, known as the Lay Family Concert Organ.
- The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center covers 485,000 square feet in space.
- It has 50 restrooms, 56 acoustical curtains, seats 2,062, and has 4 private suites for meetings, banquets, and recitals
- The warm interior of wood and onyx is contrasted with the walls-and-boxes design of the building’s glass and limestone exterior, making the center a striking landmark in the sixty-acre Dallas Arts District.
- The wood inside the hall was hand-picked by I.M. Pei. Pei flew to Africa, saw two Makore trees, said “those look nice” and had them brought to Dallas.
In addition to these unique aspects, the centerpiece of the MSC is the Eugene McDermott Concert Hall, an intimate, acoustically superior, performance space with plenty of seating. Every detail of the concert hall was designed to achieve the highest acoustical quality, with special elements of the design providing the capability of tailoring the acoustical environment to the performance.
Historical Significance
The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center is an icon of artistic and acoustic excellence. The Center is named for Morton Meyerson, former president of Electronic Data Systems and former chairman and CEO of Perot Systems, who led the 10-year effort by the Dallas Symphony Association to create a home for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The new concert center was named in his honor in 1986 at the request of H. Ross Perot, who made a $10 million contribution to the building fund for the naming rights. The Meyerson was intended to duplicate Vienna’s Musikvereinsaal and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, two of the best orchestral halls in the world.
The architecture of the building is also noteworthy. The exterior of the large pavilion and lobby is circular and constructed of glass and metal supports to contrast with the solid geometric lines of the actual hall. Architect I. M. Pei and structural engineer Leslie E. Robertson Associates have described the structure of the hall’s interior as “very conservative.” The grand curved skylights, which Pei described as “lenses,” became part of a bold and intriguing geometry to encourage people to enter the building. This external geometry translates into grand curves in the internal foyer, accentuated by the shadowing of the diagonal glazing from the skylights. The Baroque-influenced curves are particularly dramatic from the staircase up from the underground car park entrance. The trustees and acoustic team had decided on the shoebox style before Pei was hired, and he sought to sculpt the exteriors with more innovative designs. The most pleasing aspect about this building, beyond the pleasures of the auditorium itself, is the extent to which it fulfills Mr. Pei’s goal of creating a viable modernist monumentality.
Acoustics
The Meyerson Symphony Center gained international acclaim for its architecture and acoustics. It was designed to achieve the highest acoustical quality, with special elements of the design providing the capability of tailoring the acoustical environment to every performance. The acoustics of this hall are comparable to the great concert halls of Europe and the world.
There’s a huge reverberation chamber around the top of the hall that audiences can’t see. The addition helps create the rich, lively sound for which the Meyerson is known. The sound goes through the reverb chamber before making its way back into the hall and to your ears. Audio engineers are also able to open or close doors to “tune” the hall. The canopy over the stage can also be adjusted to modify the sound. The main canopy weighs 42 tons and the side canopies weigh 15 tons each.
The architectural aesthetics alone make the venue worth a visit, but the acoustics are also world-renowned; reverberation is controlled by 74 concrete doors, each weighing in at 2.5 tons, that can be opened and closed around the top of the hall as needed. Further proving that no detail was left unconsidered, a complicated system of curtains and canopies can be controlled for even more customization and unparalleled sound quality. The real innovation in the Meyerson, surprisingly enough, was simply the auditorium’s shape. The great old halls were built like shoeboxes. The Meyerson is more rounded than that; it opens out from the stage, then narrows back in again at the back. But the shape has much the same effect as the earlier shoebox. It helps reflect sound from the sides and the back to the listener.
Uses
The music hall is spacious, with multiple areas and levels of seating, all having good visibility of the stage and acoustical experience. The Meyerson Symphony Center is one of the best concert halls and music venues in the world. There are many uses of the Center and it includes multiple halls. It’s owned and managed by the city of Dallas, Office of Cultural Affairs, and is home to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra along with the Turtle Creek Chorale, Dallas Wind Symphony, and the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra. It’s also used to host benefit concerts, corporate meetings, religious services, band, and choral festivals, and has many other multidisciplinary uses.
The center is the home of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Dallas Symphony Chorus and also hosts an array of local and visiting performers, including noted youth orchestras and children’s choirs. Before or after a show, you should take time to check out the pieces from the center’s art collection that are displayed throughout the halls, including Ellsworth Kelly’s Blue Green Black Red: The Dallas Panels and a portrait of George Gershwin by Andy Warhol.
Events
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO), in partnership with the City of Dallas, helped to spearhead the efforts to make the Meyerson Symphony Center a reality. The DSO presents over 180 concert events annually. The Meyerson Symphony Center is an optimal space for concerts, meetings, lectures, receptions, weddings, and similar events. Grandfathered not-for-profit users — including The Black Academy of Arts and Letters’ MLK Celebration, Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas, Dallas-based public high school graduations, Dallas Bach Society, Dallas Winds, Fine Arts Chamber Players, Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, and Turtle Creek Chorale — will have a preferred rent rate. The DSA is committed to renting the venue when the DSO and the resident organizations are not performing, making sure the Meyerson is utilized and enjoyed as much as possible. You can find a complete list of all and upcoming events at the Meyerson Symphony Center by visiting the calendar online.
Cost to Build
The center is named for Morton H. Meyerson, former chairman of the Dallas Association’s Concert Hall Committee and former president of H. Ross Perot’s Electronic Data Systems. The Concert Hall Committee oversaw the building of the center which began in 1985 and ultimately cost $108 million. Ross Perot donated $10 million to the building on the condition it was named after Meyerson.
Over the years, just what the Meyerson Symphony Center eventually cost has been the subject of debate. In 1989, the symphony’s official price tag was (and remains) $81.5 million, which includes both public and private funding.
Donors
Construction of the Meyerson Symphony Center wouldn’t have been made possible without the help and hefty donation from H. Ross Perot. The symphony had sent a brochure [stating] that they would name the hall after anyone who would give a gift of $10 million and he answered the call. There is a long list of private donors who have made this arts center all possible. You can find more information about each of them online.
Location
The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center is a concert hall located in downtown Dallas’s Arts District. Designed by architect I.M. Pei and acoustician Russell Johnson’s Artec Consultants, Inc., the center is currently ranked as one of the world’s greatest orchestra halls.
You can find the Meyerson Symphony Center right in the Arts District of downtown Dallas at the following address:
Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center
2301 Flora St., Dallas, TX 75201
Little-Known Facts
Meyerson Symphony Center has been cited as one of the acoustically finest halls in America and features the Lay Family pipe organ. It’s considered one of the world’s best concert halls. Though modern-looking on the outside, the concert hall itself sports a more classical look. Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has been there to visit. She came to the Meyerson in 1991 during a tour of Texas. Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush visited the Meyerson to speak at the memorial service for the five Dallas police officers who were killed in the line of duty on July 7, 2016. George and Laura Bush were also patrons of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and attended several concerts when they lived in Dallas. The center includes guest artist suites, dressing rooms, a restaurant, and a sculpture garden. Each year 325 or more concert events, 20 to 30 banquets, 200 photo and film shoots, and more than 800 hours of recording activity take place at the Meyerson. The building is open for group tours as well.
Meyerson includes several pieces of fine art that you can’t help but admire. First and foremost are the iconic Kelly panels in the lobby. The four giant panels were commissioned by Ellsworth Kelly, especially for the Meyerson. Kelly was known for his use of bright colors and simple shapes, but “Dallas Panels” in the Meyerson is the largest work he ever created. Finally, if you follow Hollywood then you may be interested to know that Gary Busey got married there in 1996.
Why It’s a Top Attraction
The $108-million jewel in the Dallas Arts District ranks among some of the world’s greatest orchestra halls — and with good reason. It’s not only an architectural gem, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect I.M. Pei, it’s also an acoustical sensation, thanks to the genius of internationally renowned acoustician Russell Johnson. It’s been said by some that the quality of the acoustics is so phenomenal that you can even hear a whisper. Home to the world-class Dallas Symphony Orchestra as well as the Turtle Creek Chorale, the Dallas Wind Symphony, and the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, the center offers a packed schedule of performances (including some that are free) throughout the year.
You can also catch shows here by visiting musical luminaries like Itzhak Pearlman and Tony Bennett. Maybe you’re not into classical music, which is no problem here. The Meyerson’s diverse programming covers the spectrum from Beatles tributes, jazz concerts, and punk rock organ music to family-friendly performances — complete with an instrument petting zoo before the show. Also, you should be sure to keep an eye out for recitals on the C.B. Fisk Opus 4,500-pipe organ because it’s always a one-of-a-kind treat. It’s a large yet intimate space that will offer any visitor a once-in-a-lifetime chance of experiencing music and artists at their best.
Travel Suggestions
You should certainly put seeing and visiting the Meyerson Symphony Center on your itinerary when you visit Dallas. There is a valet option and lot parking available. Valet parking is available at the Flora Street main entrance. There are several self-parking options in the Arts District, including surface parking lots on Olive Street and along Ross Avenue, and several parking garages. The closest parking garage is the Hall Arts Center Blue Garage (formerly known as the Dallas Arts District Garage). Parking garages are privately operated; event parking rates begin at $10.
You can tour the Center and see for yourself the incredible architecture and what the hype is all about. Free public tours of the Meyerson are available on selected days along with a free 30-minute recital demonstration of the center’s impressive 4,535 pipe concert organ. Reservations are not required.
Doors to the concert hall open thirty minutes before the performance, so be sure to go early to find your seat, soak in the ambiance, and read over your program. If you’d like to eat before the show, the Meyerson serves dinner at two restaurants, Opus (fine dining and Sunday brunch) and Allegro (light dining). Bars are also set up in these areas so you may purchase bottled water, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages before the show or during the fifteen-minute-or-so intermission. There are plenty of hotels and restaurants nearby to enjoy as well.
Conclusion
Although gorgeous and renowned, the Meyerson is comfortable and relaxed with a staff that is casual, friendly, and extremely helpful. It’s definitely worth your time and energy to stop by and check it out for yourself or attend a show. You can read for yourself all the positive reviews online from past travelers and visitors. Now that you know more about it and the story behind it, you’ll enjoy your experience visiting the hall even more. It’s a part of history that should be appreciated and admired by all. There’s truly no other concert hall or music venue like it and you’re sure to be wowed and amazed when you attend a show or take a tour. Enjoy the experience and all it has to offer when you do finally get the chance to check it out and take in all of its beauty, elegance, and astonishing acoustics.
The truth is that right now no music venue or concert hall can compare with the rich history and architectural beauty of the Meyerson Symphony Center or offer a more unique experience. It’s famous not only for the “wow factor” you can’t help but notice when you enter the building but also for the sound and acoustics that are heard with each show that is performed. It’s a trip and visit that you won’t ever forget and you can cherish forever.
Leave a Reply