Boettcher Concert Hall

History

Boettcher was the first symphony hall in the round in the United States. Built in 1978 by Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates, as a home for the Denver Symphony Orchestra, the hall is part of the Denver Performing Arts Complex, which is the second largest performing arts complex in the United States next to Lincoln Center in New York. Boettcher originally opened to mixed reviews. Due to its size in relation to the size of the community it serves, its 2,362 seats are often not completely filled. Tuned acoustically with a full house in mind, Boettcher originally suffered from hot and cold spots when the theater was only partially filled.

Design

The Boettcher Concert Hall is the nation’s first symphony hall in-the-round, designed to place the audience close to the stage in a unique environment – 80% of the seats are within 65 feet of the stage, There are no true vertical or horizontal surfaces inside Boettcher Concert Hall; the walls are canted at a slight angle to disperse sound and prevent flutter echoes. On each curved surface of the hall is a wave-like band, approximately four feet high, technically called an undulating acoustical facia. These facias diffuse, reflect and channel sound throughout the venue. The seats in Boettcher are custom-designed, made from steam-bent wood with their backs varying in height from 42 inches to 48 inches.

The acoustical moat, located underneath the stage is essential in the surround design, it acts as a reverberate chamber for low frequency sound. The Canopy features 108 circular discs which is the primary device for distribution of sound to the musicians as well as the audience. These discs effect certain lighting positions on the catwalks and ring hangers."

In 1993, the theater underwent a major acoustical renovation. The height of the seat backs was adjusted, additional acoustic reflectors were added, and acoustic curtains were installed which allow the theater to be tuned for specific performances—even during a performance.

Tenants

The Colorado Symphony is the primary occupant of the Boettcher Concert Hall. Established in 1989 as the successor to the Denver Symphony Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony rehearses and performs primarily in Boettcher Concert Hall, but also throughout the Front Range. The orchestra draws 150,000 patrons to 90 performances every year to the concert hall. Its current president and CEO is Jerome Kern, and its current music director is Andrew Litton. The Colorado Symphony is the only full-time professional orchestra in over a one-thousand mile radius and one of the best in the country.

Potential Closure

In mid-2014 The Denver Post reported that the city of Denver was considering a plan to demolish Boettcher Concert Hall and build an outdoor amphitheater in its place at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. This was in tandem with a planned temporary move out at the end of the 2014-15 concert season to accommodate $17 million in upgrades of the facility. The city cited economic and racial inaccessibility, stating “the complex [is] a place where the art is expensive and the audiences mostly white and older — in a city that is increasingly Latino and young.” Denver Mayor Michael Hancock appointed a team to begin working in October 1, 2014 on the future of Boettcher Concert Hall. The debate was both about accessibility as well as the cost of making extensive repairs and renovations.

Potential plans included fixing up and managing Boettcher as a multi-use facility that could host concerts and provide educational space. Making the space usable as a concert hall at night and a space for small classrooms. There was also discussion of adding an outdoor amphitheater. This option proved controversial, not only due to demolishing the Boettcher but also due to competition with Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre. This potential move would have also involved constructing a shared box office for the three large facilities in the complex. The Colorado Symphony Orchestra leadership was quick to present many reasons why they were a valuable tenant in the Boettcher.