MEYERHOFF TURNS 40
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BY MICHAEL LISICKY BSO Oboist and Historian
How a Friendship Built a World Class Concert Hall
W hen Joseph Meyerhoff assumed the Baltimore Symphony board leadership in 1965 , he was charged with bringing financial stability and artistic integrity to the troubled arts organization . Meyerhoff , one of the biggest names in commercial and residential real estate , developed a unique bond with the BSO ’ s future music director , Sergiu Comissiona . That relationship was based on trust , knowledge , and admiration . Besides , Meyerhoff knew how to build projects ; Comissiona knew how to make music . The combination worked .
Comissiona began his BSO tenure in September 1969 and soon presented Meyerhoff with a “ wish list ” that he felt would move the organization forward . Stressing a strong artistic vision with a larger orchestra , Comissiona wanted regular Carnegie Hall appearances , commercial recording contracts , international tours , and ultimately , a new concert hall . Meyerhoff tackled these requests . Some were easier than others , and he asked for Comissiona ’ s patience when it came to a new home for the orchestra .
By the 1970s , the Lyric Theater , the Symphony ’ s then-home , became the subject of open criticism . In addition to inadequate backstage facilities and debatable acoustics , the Lyric desperately needed renovation .
Joseph Meyerhoff
Comissiona re-emphasized the need for a new concert hall and Meyerhoff , a real estate developer , agreed that the building stood in the way of a rejuvenated orchestra .
The Baltimore Symphony was also a tenant at the Lyric . The orchestra needed its own space to rehearse , perform , and record . It needed its own home . It was tired of fighting for rental dates with Lyric management . The BSO couldn ’ t even own and store its own piano at the Lyric .
After Meyerhoff purchased and demolished the somewhat notorious Deutsches Haus restaurant in 1971 , rumors surfaced that plans for a new concert hall were in development . The Deutsches Haus site , located at the intersection of Preston and Cathedral Streets , provided a perfect spot within the newly-developing Mount Royal arts district .
During the next few years , all discussions and designs for a new concert hall occurred behind closed doors , away from public knowledge or input . However , in the summer of 1974 , the State Legislature announced a $ 2.5 million restoration grant for the Lyric . Meyerhoff , Comissiona , and BSO executive board members came forward with designs for a new $ 15 million auditorium on the former Deutsches Haus site . The BSO had already engaged renowned Pietro Belluschi and Robert Brannen as architects .
Meyerhoff spent the next few years meeting with civic and corporate leaders , trying to gain financial support . Meyerhoff wanted to fulfill Comissiona ’ s wish list and he wanted Comissiona to continue to make Baltimore his home . Though the plans for a new hall appeared to have stalled in the public eye , discussions continued and advanced behind closed doors .
In February 1976 , in a surprise move , the Board of Estimates submitted a letter that appeared in the Baltimore Sun editorial pages . The Board praised the great artistic strides under the direction of Sergiu Comissiona and demanded that the BSO have a home of its own . They cited the Lyric ’ s physical condition and called it a victim of neglect . The Board of Estimates assured that the combination of state money and an initial $ 2.5 million pledge by Joseph Meyerhoff could turn this dream into a reality .
After the General Assembly passed a $ 10 million funding bill , and concerns that Baltimore could support two concert halls were alleviated , groundbreaking for the hall occurred on November 10 , 1978 . With Sergiu Comissiona , Mayor William Donald Schaefer , and State Comptroller Louis Goldstein at his side , Meyerhoff ’ s commitment to Comissiona ’ s wish list was realized .
BSO leaders promised a state-of-the-art concert hall that was acoustically perfect and architecturally stunning . With 2437 seats situated in an elliptical design , the hall featured the latest in technology and promoted energy conservation . The interior lobby space included five strategicallylocated cocktail lounges , as well as sloping ramps and escalator banks that facilitated patron movement . The auditorium , with its oak veneer and burnt orange upholsteries , lacked any right angles . This allowed the sound to easily flow within the hall . 18 hanging fiberglass discs and 52 2800-pound ceiling clouds helped provide a “ non-uniform sound reflection .”
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