“The ‘empty seats’ dilemma is one of the great contributors to the immortal—and erroneous—idea that classical music is out of touch and fading away,” writes Jeremy Reynolds in Monday’s (11/4) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “There’s a simple solution for groups that aren’t anchored to a specific hall.… Move to a smaller hall…. Chamber Music Pittsburgh [performs at] Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland, a 1,900-seat venue… Chamber Music Pittsburgh and other classical organizations in the city have been searching for a mid-sized hall for years…. Pittsburgh doesn’t have such a hall…. But that could change…. Synod Hall in Oakland … has marvelous acoustics, but the stage is small. Its owners are planning a $5 million renovation that would reduce its seating to 650. The Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall in Munhall seats about 1,000. It has excellent acoustics and regularly hosts concerts, but the seats are hideously uncomfortable. It is about to undergo extensive renovations…. In the Hill District, the New Granada Theater is also supposed to undergo extensive renovations in coming years…. Said David Pankratz, research and policy director at the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, ‘There is a strong interest in greater Pittsburgh in smaller and mid-sized organizations. There’s appeal for this.’ ”
Posted November 6, 2019
