Academy of Music
Nicknamed "The Grand Old Lady of Locust Street," The Academy of Music, one of America’s most spectacular performing arts buildings, is a National Historic Landmark that has been in constant service to the Greater Philadelphia community since 1857. The ongoing restoration of the Academy requires consistent stewardship and planned investments that keep it safe, comfortable, and beautiful for all.
Modeled after Milan’s famed La Scala, it is the oldest opera house in the United States still used for its original purpose. Philadelphia’s Academy of Music has hosted countless performances and significant historical events and was the original home of The Philadelphia Orchestra.
The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts began to take shape in 1996 when two projects came together: The Philadelphia Orchestra's ongoing plan to build a new home for itself, and a plan of then-Mayor Edward G. Rendell to provide a much-needed venue for some of Philadelphia's most prominent performing arts companies and for touring presentations. With the generous consent of The Philadelphia Orchestra, which had acquired a property at Broad and Spruce Streets, the two plans were merged under the supervision and management of a new organization, the Regional Performing Arts Center (RPAC).
Today, the original dream has grown into a full Campus of buildings and represents 164 years of artistic inspiration along Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts. The Kimmel Cultural Campus incorporates public amenities and operates three major venues:
The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which is home to Verizon Hall (2,500-seat concert hall), Perelman Theater (650-seat recital theater), and SEI Innovation Studio –
- A 2,688 sq. foot black box theater,
- A renovated and upgraded Academy of Music (2,900 seats)
- And the Miller Theater (formerly the Merriam Theater) (1,841 seats).
The rich history spans over a century and a half, representing a generations-long commitment to presenting the transformative power of the arts to Philadelphians.
In Summer 2021, The Campus introduced a new alliance and formation of a parent company with The Philadelphia Orchestra. The two organizations join forces to present great performances and impactful education and community programs – charting a better shared future together – under the leadership of President & CEO Matías Tarnopolsky.
Location and Contact:
The Academy of Music
240 S. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 893-1999
Photo Credit: Visit Philadelphia