Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts facts for kids
South (front) elevation, 2009
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| Address | 60 Manor Ave. Annandale-on-Hudson, New York United States |
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| Coordinates | 42°01′52.81″N 073°54′09.55″W / 42.0313361°N 73.9026528°W |
| Owner | Bard College |
| Type | Performing arts center |
| Capacity | Sosnoff Theater: 900 LUMA Theater: Adjustable |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 2003 |
| Architect | Frank Gehry |
| Structural engineer | DeSimone Consulting Engineers Cosentini Associates |
| Main contractors | Daniel O'Connell's Sons |
The Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts is a special building at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. It's a place where people can enjoy many different kinds of shows. You can see orchestral music, jazz, theater plays, dance performances, and even opera here.
This amazing building was designed by a famous architect named Frank Gehry. It's about 110,000 square feet, which is like a huge playground! Inside, there are two main theaters and four studios for practicing dance, theater, and music. The building is also very modern because its heating and cooling systems use energy from the Earth (geothermal power). This means it doesn't use fossil fuels for its daily operations. The whole project cost $62 million and took three years to build, opening in April 2003. Some people even say it might be the best small concert hall in the United States!
Contents
What's Inside the Fisher Center?
The Fisher Center has two main performance spaces. Each one is designed for different types of shows.
The Sosnoff Theater: A Grand Stage
The Sosnoff Theater is a large and beautiful space with 900 seats. It has different levels for seating, including an orchestra section, a parterre, and two balcony areas. This theater is perfect for big shows like operas because it has a special pit for the orchestra.
The sound in the Sosnoff Theater is also very special. It was designed by an expert named Yasuhisa Toyota. There's an acoustic shell that can be moved to change the theater into a concert hall. This makes it sound amazing for both small groups of musicians (chamber music) and large orchestras.
The LUMA Theater: A Flexible Space
The LUMA Theater is smaller and can seat about 200 people. What's cool about this theater is that it's "flexible." This means its layout can be changed for different kinds of performances. During the school year, Bard College's own Theater and Dance programs use this space a lot.
Festivals and Events at the Center
The Fisher Center is not just for college events. It's also home to some exciting festivals that bring performers from all over the world.
Bard Music Festival
One of the most famous events is the Bard Music Festival. This festival is part of a bigger summer event called Bard SummerScape. During SummerScape, the center hosts many different shows, including opera, theater, and dance.
A Place for Learning and Performing
During the regular school year, the Fisher Center is mainly used for teaching students and for college events. But in the summer, it opens its doors to the public. It becomes a busy place for professional performances and for the college's special graduate programs in the arts.
Images for kids
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South (front) elevation, 2009
