Lyric Baltimore facts for kids
Exterior of venue, c. 2013
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| Former names | The Music Hall (1894-1909) Lyric Opera House (1909-2010) The Patricia & Arthur Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric (2010-2021) |
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| Address | 110 West Mount Royal Avenue Baltimore, MD 21201-5714 |
| Location | Downtown Baltimore |
| Public transit | Mt. Royal/MICA |
| Owner | The Lyric Foundation |
| Operator | Lyric Productions, LLC |
| Capacity | 2,564 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | October 31, 1894 |
| Renovated | 1908, 1921, 1980-82, 2010-11, 2014 |
| Tenants | |
| Metropolitan Opera (1904-Present) Lyric Opera Baltimore (2011-2017) Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (1916-82) Baltimore Opera Company (1950-2009) |
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| Website | |
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Lyric Theatre
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 Location in Baltimore
Location in Maryland
Location in the United States
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| Built | 1893 |
| Architect | T. Henry Randall |
| Architectural style | Renaissance |
| NRHP reference No. | 86000131 |
| Added to NRHP | January 23, 1986 |
The Lyric Baltimore is a famous music hall in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. It is located near the University of Baltimore law school. The building was designed to look like the Concertgebouw concert hall in Amsterdam. It first opened on October 31, 1894. The Boston Symphony Orchestra and singer Nellie Melba performed on its opening night.
Since 1904, the Lyric has hosted touring shows by the Metropolitan Opera. From 1950, it was the home of the Baltimore Opera Company. That company closed in 2009.
The venue was first called The Music Hall when it opened in 1894. Between 1909 and 2010, it was known as the Lyric Opera House. In 2010, it was renamed The Patricia & Arthur Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric. This was to honor Art Modell, a football team owner, and his wife, who donated $3.5 million. The name changed back to "The Lyric" on March 31, 2021. The Modell family was told the name would be removed unless they kept donating. They decided not to continue their contributions.
The Lyric was also home to the Lyric Opera Baltimore from 2011 to 2017. This company started after the Baltimore Lyric Opera closed.
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History of the Lyric Baltimore
Over the years, the Lyric has had several names. It started as "The Music Hall" (1894-1909). In 1909, it became the "Lyric Opera House." This name stayed for most of the 20th century. In 2010, it was renamed "The Patricia & Arthur Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric." This was to recognize a large donation from Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell and his wife, Patricia Breslin. The name went back to "The Lyric" on March 31, 2021.
Opera and Music Performances
Before 1909, Oscar Hammerstein I planned to make the stage bigger. But then Otto Kahn bought the building for the Metropolitan Opera. This led to the name change to Lyric Theatre. It also made sure the Metropolitan Opera would visit every year. In the early 1900s, famous opera singer Enrico Caruso performed there. He sang in the opera Martha with the Metropolitan Opera.
In 1950, the Baltimore Opera officially began. It was called the Baltimore Civic Opera Company. Famous American singer Rosa Ponselle was its first artistic director. She brought Beverly Sills to Baltimore for a show called Manon in 1952. By 1970, the company was called the Baltimore Opera Company. It was a regular part of the Lyric.
The Lyric was mainly a concert hall, like the Concertgebouw. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra started in 1916. They performed at the Lyric until 1982. In 1920, the building was bought from Kahn. A big renovation added a larger balcony. This made the seating capacity reach 2,800 people. In March 1974, the Boston Symphony Orchestra returned for the Lyric's 75th anniversary. The Philadelphia Orchestra also performed regularly until April 1980. A special event was the 1934 first performance of Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. The composer himself played the piano.
Other Exciting Events
Many different types of events have been held at the Lyric. These included sports like a boxing match in 1905. There was also a wrestling match in 1906. The first public showing of electric cooking in Baltimore happened there. Many famous speakers also visited. These included Aimee Semple McPherson, Will Rogers, Richard Byrd, Clarence Darrow, Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, and William Jennings Bryan.
In 1967, the band The Doors performed at the Lyric.
In April and May 1984, Yul Brynner starred in The King and I. Over 70,000 people watched this show in four weeks. That same year, Patti Labelle sold out five performances. In 1987, the musical Cats was seen by over 75,000 people.
Becoming a True Opera House
From 1980 to 1982, major renovations took place. These changes fully transformed the Lyric into a modern opera house.
