Roy Thomson Hall (60 Simcoe St.) has been a provocative subject for Toronto’s concert goers. While it can sometimes sound a little cavernous, one undeniable fact is that it has become a major part of Toronto’s musical and architectural history.
Here are a few interesting facts we found that you might not have known about Toronto’s premiere concert venue.
Did we miss any? Add your own in the comments.
1
Renowned violinist and frequent Toronto Symphony Orchestra guest artist Itzhak Perlman acted as a special advisor to the Roy Thomson Hall architects to ensure accessibility at all levels for disabled performers and patrons.
2
On October 30, 1988, Leonard Bernstein conducted the Vienna Philharmonic as part of The Great Orchestra Series at RTH. This was his only appearance at the Hall, and he died of a heart attack two years later.
3
The courtyard pond was originally designed to be used as a skating rink in the winter. The building was influenced by RTH architect Arthur Erickson’s journeys in Japan and his relationship with the North American Aboriginals.
4
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has a long history of launching the festival every year at RTH with a Gala Screening. The hall has been the site of world premieres for such Oscar Winning films as The King’s Speech, Slumdog Millionaire, Black Swan. (It was also used as a location for the movie, X-Men.)
5
Originally known as “The New Massey Hall”, it was renamed on January 14, 1982, in honour of Roy Thomson (founder of the publishing empire Thomson Corporation), who donated C$4.5 million to the construction of the hall.
6
The hall was the venue of the state funeral of federal Leader of the Official Opposition and NDP leader Jack Layton on August 27, 2011.
7
The first concert in the gala opening festival, 13-25 Sep 1982, included two commissions: Fanfare by Ray Luedeke for the Toronto Symphony, and Sun by R. Murray Schafer for the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Followed by a concert production of Capriccio by the Canadian Opera Company among others.
8
RTH has served as the main venue for the Munk Debates. The first debate, “Be it Resolved, Religion is a Force for Good in the World,” was held between former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and author Christopher Hitchens.
9
RTH acquired its Yamaha CF-2 concert grand piano from the estate of Glenn Gould in 1983.
10
The hall was renovated over a period of six months in 2002, after years of complaints from musicians about the quality of its acoustics.
Bonus
For more, check out this video of MT founder and co-author of “Roy Thomson Hall: A Portrait,” John Terauds, as he shares some behind the scenes stories about the acoustic renovation of 2002 at Toronto’s iconic venue here:
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