Lyric Performing Arts Center 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 Performing Arts Center is a famous music venue in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is located near the University of Baltimore law school. This building was designed to look like the Concertgebouw concert hall in Amsterdam. The Lyric opened its doors on October 31, 1894. The very first performance featured the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the famous opera singer Nellie Melba.
Since 1904, the Lyric has hosted touring shows from the Metropolitan Opera. From 1950, it was the home of the Baltimore Opera Company until that company stopped operating in 2009.
The venue was first called The Music Hall when it opened in 1894. From 1909 to 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 gave a large donation. The name changed back to "The Lyric" on March 31, 2021.
The Lyric was also home to the Lyric Opera Baltimore from 2011 to 2017. This company was started after the Baltimore Lyric Opera closed.
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The Lyric's Story
Over the years, this special building has had a few different names. It started as "The Music Hall" from 1894 to 1909. Then, in 1909, it became the "Lyric Opera House." It kept this name for most of the 20th century.
In 2010, the name changed to "The Patricia & Arthur Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric." This was to thank Art Modell, who owned the Baltimore Ravens football team, and his wife Patricia Breslin. They gave a large donation over 10 years. But on March 31, 2021, the name went back to "The Lyric."
Opera and Music Performances
Before 1909, the Metropolitan Opera started visiting the Lyric every year. Famous opera singers performed there. One of them was Enrico Caruso, who sang with the Metropolitan Opera in a show called Martha.
In 1950, the Baltimore Opera was officially created. It was first called the Baltimore Civic Opera Company. A famous American singer named Rosa Ponselle was its first artistic director. She even brought Beverly Sills to Baltimore for a show called Manon in 1952. By 1970, the company was called the Baltimore Opera Company and was a big part of the Lyric.
Because the Lyric was built like the Concertgebouw, it was mostly used for concerts. In 1916, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra was founded. They performed at the Lyric until 1982. In 1920, the building was bought and made bigger. A new balcony was added, and it could hold 2,800 people.
In March 1974, the Lyric celebrated its 75th birthday. The Boston Symphony Orchestra came back to perform. The Philadelphia Orchestra also performed regularly in Baltimore until April 1980. A very special moment was in 1934. The famous composer Rachmaninoff played his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for the first time there.
Other Exciting Events
The Lyric has hosted many different kinds of events over the years. It even held sporting events! For example, a boxing match in 1905 and a wrestling match in 1906 took place there.
The first public demonstration of electric cooking in Baltimore happened at the Lyric. Many important speakers also visited, like Aimee Semple McPherson, Will Rogers, Richard Byrd, Clarence Darrow, Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, and William Jennings Bryan.
In 1967, the famous band The Doors performed at the Lyric. Later, in April and May 1984, the musical The King and I starring Yul Brynner was a huge hit. Over 70,000 people watched it in just four weeks! That same year, Patti Labelle's concerts sold out five shows. In 1987, the musical Cats was seen by over 75,000 people.
Becoming an Opera House
From 1980 to 1982, the Lyric went through big renovations. These changes helped it become a full-fledged opera house, ready for even more amazing performances.
