On September 26 and 27, the Des Moines Symphony and Music Director Joseph Giunta performed their season-opening public concerts at the Des Moines Civic Center, the first since the completion of a new curved, maple-veneer acoustic shell, designed by Joseph Myers of Kirkegaard Associates and manufactured by Wenger Corporation. Improvements include new cloth-covered felt and hardboard panels covering the side walls to absorb higher frequencies, and textured, reinforced gypsum board along the back wall to make the sound from the stage more resonant. The shell is the first phase of a collaborative project to upgrade the Civic Center’s acoustics by the orchestra and Des Moines Performing Arts, which presents performances at several area theaters including the Des Moines Civic Center. Future improvements include raising the proscenium arch above the stage to carry sound waves to the front and middle parts of the hall.
Posted October 8, 2015
