Academy of Music, Opera house and concert hall in Avenue of the Arts district, Philadelphia, United States.
The Academy of Music is an opera house and concert hall in Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts district, with an auditorium modeled after Milan's La Scala. The interior seats 2,509 guests and is lit by a large crystal chandelier.
Napoleon LeBrun designed the building in 1857, and it has remained continuously open as an opera house ever since. Republicans nominated Ulysses S. Grant here in 1872 for his second term as president.
Philadelphia Opera and Philadelphia Ballet perform here throughout the year, treating the house as their artistic home. Visitors experience classical productions in a hall lined with red velvet and gilded balconies that recall European opera houses.
Guided tours are available with advance booking and show the auditorium, foyer, and backstage areas. The theater sits on Broad Street and is easily reached by public transit.
Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Rachmaninoff, and Saint-Saëns conducted their own compositions here during performances in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Wagner's Flying Dutchman and Gounod's Faust received their American premieres on this stage.
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