Brooklyn Philharmonic - Concert Halls

Concert Halls

Whereas the earlier Philharmonic Society of Brooklyn was one of the principal founders of BAM, the present Brooklyn Philharmonic (then the Brooklyn Philharmonia) was in turn founded under the auspices of BAM in 1954, where it had its first home. The two institutions were not legally separated until 1971, although the Philharmonia/Philharmonic continued to perform at BAM. Over time the relationship between the Brooklyn Philharmonic and BAM was sufficiently intertwined that it had once again become "practically speaking a subdepartment of BAM."

In 1990 this relationship was formalized to a greater degree, and the Brooklyn Philharmonic served as resident orchestra for the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) from then until 2005, performing frequently in BAM’s Howard Gilman Opera House with 2,109 seats as well as in the same institution’s Harvey Lichtenstein Theater with 874 seats. A 1998 article in the New York Times observed, "the association with BAM has been a mixed blessing. It has helped define the orchestra's artistic personality, but it is also the root of several current problems." The president of the Philharmonic's board at the time remarked, "our relationship with BAM has gone through its ups and downs. There is confusion among the public as to whether we are part of BAM, or independent, and over time we've tried closer and looser affiliations. We find that decentralization works better. But the orchestra also likes the alignment with BAM and its image of being willing to try new things." Harvey Lichtenstein, then director of BAM and the driving force in the 1990 agreement, asserted, "basically, I think the institution has to stand on its own two feet, artistically, financially and administratively."

The BAM residency ended in 2005, and while the Brooklyn Philharmonic did continue to perform there on occasion, for the most part it "evaporated . . to a trickle of community-oriented chamber-music events" around Brooklyn. With the hiring of a new director, the Philharmonic "intends to establish enduring bases throughout the borough." The Philharmonic now performs at the Brooklyn Public Library in the 189 seat Stevan Dweck Center for Contemporary Culture as well as in the Brooklyn Museum in the 460 seat Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Auditorium. In 2010, it was "squeezed financially out of BAM" altogether. As of 2011, it has plans to focus on Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brighton Beach and Downtown Brooklyn. Pierson remarked, "We really want to go back to BAM. I know the orchestra players miss it terribly."

Starting in 1974 the Philharmonic began performing in Prospect Park in the summer, and now performs annually at many of New York's longest running art festivals, including Celebrate Brooklyn as well as at New York's largest church, Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The Brooklyn Philharmonic first performed at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in 1964, just two years after the opening of 2,738 seat Philharmonic Hall (now Avery Fisher Hall). The orchestra premiered in Carnegie Hall in 1973 and has continued to appear in Carnegie Hall’s main Isaac Stern Auditorium with 2,804 seats periodically, its most recent such concert at Carnegie having occurred in 2011.