Funding will bring improvements, including new blackout curtains, to Springfield Symphony Hall
SPRINGFIELD — This upcoming season at Springfield Symphony Hall — set to feature everything from orchestra performances to world-renowned comedians, singers and speakers — is about to get a boost.
A grant of $250,000 from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission's Community Mitigation Fund will aid in several technical, functional and aesthetic improvements for the historic hall. Among those: new blackout curtains for the windows.
"A majority of the theaters you walk into don't have windows, so when you're in a space with windows, doing a blackout event is very difficult," said Amanda Spear-Purchase, venue and events director at Symphony Hall. She attended a media event on Wednesday that also featured Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, Spirit of Springfield President Judith Matt and Springfield Symphony Orchestra President Heather Caisse-Roberts.
Springfield Symphony Hall will be receiving $250,000 from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission's Community Mitigation Fund that will be used for technical, functional and aesthetic upgrades to the hall. One of the aspects of the upgrade will be new curtains that will allow complete blackout for performances. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
'Very, very, very important'
"It might sound simple, but it's a very, very, very important improvement. The new curtains will help with our acoustics and improve the experience of our artists and guests," she said.
Symphony Hall last received a major facelift in 2020, when the Sarno administration allocated $2 million in city funds to renovate the venue's sound system, lighting and dressing rooms.
The 2,500-plus seat hall will in the coming weeks welcome programs from MGM Springfield such as The Magical Music of Harry Potter Live in Concert, Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland and Air Supply. Free programming from the Springfield Public Forum will bring noteworthy speakers to the stage, including the Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson, associate justice for the U.S. Supreme Court.
When Matt took the stage on Wednesday, she shared another free program that will be hosted at Symphony Hall: a holiday concert by the 215th Army Band on Dec. 7.
"Last year, over 1,500 people filled Symphony Hall for our holiday concert, an incredible show of support for both our military musicians and this beautiful venue," Matt said on Wednesday. "These concerts are free, but the impact is priceless."
Springfield Symphony Hall will be receiving $250,000 from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission's Community Mitigation Fund that will be used for technical, functional and aesthetic upgrades to the hall. One of the aspects of the upgrade will be new curtains that will allow complete blackout for performances. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
The Springfield Symphony Orchestra will be the first of the season to liven Symphony Hall on Saturday night for "A Night In Italy: Verdi, Respighi & Rota," which will bring to life the soundtrack of "The Godfather" film. Tickets to the concert, starting at $25, are available on the symphony's website.
Caisse-Roberts said the orchestra is "programming aggressively."
"There are less than 1,600 cities that can boast that they have a professional symphony orchestra that plays in their home city, and that is not something that we are going to let disappear here," she said on Wednesday.
"We are listening to what our audience wants. We are listening to what our communities want. And we're asking all of you to come here and come together as Springfield."
Read the original article on MassLive . Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
