Academy of Music – The Orchestra's Home for the Past Century

Seating Chart

The Academy of Music opened in 1857 and is the oldest grand opera house in the United States still used for its original purpose. Modeled on Italy’s famous La Scala in Milan, the Academy quickly became America’s most prestigious opera house, for a time rivaling New York’s competing offerings. Over the years, in addition to serving the performing arts community, the Academy has been the site of numerous graduation ceremonies and also has hosted or participated in several presi­dential conventions. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963, the Academy of Music has benefited from millions of dollars raised by the Restoration Fund for the Academy of Music for various renovations and restorations during the past 50 years.

The Academy of Music served as The Philadelphia Orch­estra’s main concert hall for more than a century, from the ensemble’s founding in 1900 up to the opening of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in December 2001. The Orchestra purchased the Academy in 1957, and still performs there each year on the occasion of the Academy’s anniversary.

Still owned by The Philadelphia Orchestra Association, the Academy of Music is now operated and managed by Kimmel Center, Inc. Together, The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and the Academy of Music serve as the primary performance venues for a variety of the region’s most prominent performing arts companies. The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts includes two major performance halls: the 2,500-seat Verizon Hall, home of The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the versatile 650-seat Perelman Theater, built for dance, theater, chamber music, and smaller scale presentations. The 2,900-seat Academy of Musiccontinues as home of major annual seasons offered by the Pennsylvania Ballet and the Opera Company of Philadelphia. Other resident companies of the two facilities in­clude the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Peter Nero and the Philly Pops ®, Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadanco), and the American Theater Arts for Youth.