Ambassador Auditorium facts for kids
The Ambassador Auditorium is a famous concert hall located in Pasadena, California, in the United States. It sits on the historic campus of Ambassador College. Many people think its design looks a bit like an ancient temple. This special building can hold up to 1,262 people.
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A Special Concert Hall
Some music lovers called Ambassador Auditorium "The Carnegie Hall of the West." It might be small, but it's a truly beautiful place for concerts. From 1974 to 1995, it hosted 20 seasons of the world's best musicians.
Building the Auditorium
The auditorium was built under the guidance of Herbert W. Armstrong. It was meant to be used by the Worldwide Church of God for church services. It also served Ambassador College for school events. Most importantly, it was a public concert hall to celebrate the performing arts.
When it was built, the auditorium used very fancy materials. These included Iranian onyx and African teak wood. Wool carpets came from India, and there was even splendid gold-leaf decoration. The Vienna Symphony Orchestra officially opened the hall.
Famous Performers
About 2.5 million people attended over 2,500 concerts at Ambassador Auditorium. Many famous artists performed there. These included singers like Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis Junior, and Frank Sinatra.
Many great classical musicians also played there. Some of these were Claudio Arrau, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Alicia de Larrocha, Arthur Rubinstein, Andrés Segovia, and Yo-Yo Ma. Famous orchestras like the Vienna Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic also performed. The hall was especially good for solo artists and smaller music groups.
Amazing Sound Quality
Many artists loved to perform at Ambassador Auditorium because of its amazing sound. It is one of the few concert halls built in its time with almost perfect sound for orchestras.
To show how clear the sound was, tour guides would drop a small pin on the stage. People sitting at the very back of the hall could hear the pin drop. They could even hear a tiny bounce when it hit the stage!
Rubinstein's Experience
Famous pianist Arthur Rubinstein spoke highly of the hall's sound. For many years, he refused to play on the West Coast. This was because of bad experiences with other concert halls. To get him to play at Ambassador, he was allowed to pick any grand piano he wanted from New York. After his performance, a special plaque was placed on the piano. It named it the "Artur Rubinstein piano."
Karajan's Choice
The hall's great reputation spread quickly among musicians. Herbert von Karajan, a famous conductor, even changed his American tour plans. He wanted to bring the Berlin Philharmonic to play at the Ambassador. It was the only concert hall on the West Coast where von Karajan would take the Berlin Philharmonic.
Changes Over Time
After 2,500 concerts, the Worldwide Church of God stopped running the college and the auditorium. They sold the property in the 1990s. In 1995, the famous concert series ended. The church said they could no longer afford to pay for the program.
On May 14, 2004, the church sold about 13 acres of its campus. This included the Ambassador Auditorium. It is now owned by HRock Church of Pasadena. Since then, HRock Church has reopened the auditorium to the public. It now hosts many local music groups, like the Colburn Orchestra and the Pasadena Symphony. HRock Church also holds its own services and events there.
From 2010 to 2017, the area around the Ambassador Auditorium changed a lot. Most of the other buildings on the original campus were torn down. New apartment and condominium buildings were built instead.
