How did Carnegie Hall end up with its legendary acoustics? At Andrew Carnegie’s request, William Burnet Tuthill, lead architect, amateur cellist, and first-time concert hall designer, toured Europe and studied various concert halls to see what made their acoustics the very best.
Tuthill deliberately chose to keep the hall styling and decorative elements simple, elegant and functional. A smooth interior and flowing shapes, and a series of half domes with the domed ceiling help prevent the direct reflection of sound.
Throughout the decades, curtains, backdrops, and panels have been added to the stage area that have affected the sound. All of these have since been removed so you can experience the hall sound as Tuthill intended. Violinist Isaac Stern once said, “Everywhere in the world music enhances the hall with one exception. Carnegie Hall enhances the music.”
