Chicago, June 14, 2007: British design architects, Allies and Morrison; theatre consultants, Carr and Angier; and contractor, Interior/Exterior (ISG); along with visionaries Michael Lynch, Chief Executive; and Jude Kelly, Artistic Director, of South Bank Centre, welcomed the public back to a transformed, world-class concert hall.

Read what music critics, musicians and the public are saying:


Much improved, and much to prove (LaScena Musicale The Lebrecht Weekly – June 13, 2007)
“In every part of the hall, the listener feels closer to the action…musicians feel better about themselves….”
http://www.scena.org/columns/lebrecht/070613-NL-improved.html


Amid Alleluias, Festival Hall Resurrected (The New York Times – June 13, 2007)
“Lawrence Kierkegaard [sic] was the acoustician, and the improvement is remarkable.  The sound came through with bloom, detail and richness….”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/13/arts/music/13roya.html?ref=arts


Bravo!  Festival Hall Reopens with Mass Orchestras, “Bolero’ (Bloomberg.com – June 12, 2007)
“…and the acoustic has improved beyond recognition.  New reverberations bounced from the back and sides of the 3,000-seat auditorium during the concert.  It’s wonderful….”
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aSTAKAwujv.I&refer=muse


Shout ‘Alleluia’ for Festival Hall (Telegraph.co.uk – June 12, 2007)
“After decades of desiccated sound-quality, the hall now has a bloom, and gives the music room to breathe.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/06/12/bmfirstnight112.xml


Kirkegaard Triumphs on London’s South Bank (MusicalAmerica.com – June 12, 2007)
“Not so much a change in the sound as a transformation.  It is vibrant, alive, with extraordinary clarity from whistle-clean woodwinds…it is an astonishing improvement….”
http://www.musicalamerica.com/news/newsstory.cfm?archived=0&storyID=16162&categoryID=1&cookies=1


Royal Festival Hall Reopens after 21st century refit (Scotsman, UK, June 8, 2007
“The sound is much clearer and richer than it used to be…” Vladimir Jurowski told reporters, “You could feel from the first note that the hall has changed.”
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=896512007


The five-star Festival Hall – Top marks as four orchestras test out wonderful acoustics (Evening Standard – June 12, 2007)
Most important (for the classical music world) is the miraculous improvement of the acoustics…
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/review-23400226-details/The+five-star+Festival+Hall/review.do?reviewId=23400226


Rattle gives Festival Hall refit thumbs up (The Guardian, May 30, 2007)
“…in an attempt to cure its infamous acoustic, the response from early visitors has been overwhelmingly positive. In a video message, Sir Simon Rattle said after a trial recital: ‘It was a real pleasure to play here. Before the restoration, it was always an honour, but it wasn't exactly a pleasure.’”
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/news/story/0,,2091090,00.html


Kirkegaard Associates’ project team members include: Larry Kirkegaard, President and Principal Acoustician; Project Manager, Connie Walker (Architectural Integration); Senior Consultant, Tim Gulsrud (Room Acoustics; and Model testing and materials technology research); Senior Consultant, Richard Laidman (Audio and Video Systems Design); Consultant, Zackery Belanger (Model testing and materials technology research); and Senior Consultant, Terry Tyson (HVAC Noise and Vibration Control).

Contact: Jackie Goldammer
(312) 441-1980