Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
| Company type | Nonprofit organization |
|---|---|
| Industry | Performing arts, music venue |
| Founded | 1875 |
| Headquarters | Troy , United States |
Area served | Troy, New York and surrounding region |
| Products | Concerts, musical performances |
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall is a renowned performance space situated in Troy, Rensselaer County, New York. It is celebrated for its outstanding acoustics and houses an Odell concert organ. Managed by a nonprofit organization, the hall was completed in 1875 and earned recognition as a National Historic Landmark in 1989, acknowledged as one of the finest surviving auditoriums from the 19th century.
History
Established in 1823, the Troy Savings Bank relocated to its present site in 1870, incorporating plans to include a music hall on the upper floors to benefit the community.
During the early 1900s, the Music Hall welcomed distinguished performers such as Lillian Nordica, Henri Vieuxtemps, Ignace Jan Paderewski, Albert Spalding, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Myra Hess, and Jose Iturbi. The 1930s and 1940s saw frequent appearances by artists like Vladimir Horowitz, Yehudi Menuhin, and Artur Rubinstein, establishing the venue as a significant stop on American concert circuits.
Traditionally, before shows commenced, the Fire Marshal reminded attendees of the strict prohibition against smoking within the hall.
Following World War II, economic downturns in Troy impacted both the bank and music hall. Efforts to save the venue included proposals for creating an industrial and folk art museum and collaborations with local educational institutions.
In 1979, concerned citizens formed the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Revitalization Committee. With backing from the bank and municipal funds, the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Corporation was created as a nonprofit organization to lease and manage the hall. Its first event under this management was a 1980 concert by the Benny Goodman Band. After corporate changes, Troy Savings Bank transitioned into a public corporation in 1999. On January 16, 2004, First Niagara Financial Group, Inc. acquired Troy Financial Corporation, which owned Troy Savings Bank and Troy Commercial Bank. First Niagara later merged with Key Bank in late 2016.
The Music Hall is recognized as a contributing property within the Central Troy Historic District.
Design
George B. Post was chosen by default to design the building due to his innovative use of metal to replicate stone in structural elements; his bid was also the only one that met the board’s financial constraints. A graduate of New York University who trained under Richard Morris Hunt, Post was an esteemed architect from New York known for Beaux Arts and French Renaissance influences, which are reflected in the building’s elaborate ornamentation. Construction began in July 1871 on property at State and Second Streets owned by the bank.
Finished in April 1875 at a cost of $435,000, this six-story structure commands its surroundings. The bank occupied roughly one-third of the ground floor; other spaces were rented to tenants such as an insurance firm, Troy Chamber of Commerce, a bus terminal, and a plumbing company. Above these floors lies the Music Hall itself: measuring 106 feet in length, 69 feet wide, and 61 feet tall.
Concert attendees were greeted by original granite staircases extending across the building’s frontage leading into an ornately decorated interior. Box offices flanked a central staircase ascending to parquet and Dress Circle seating areas. Iron staircases on either side provided access to upper and lower boxes, balcony, and gallery seats. The hall accommodates 1,253 patrons with seating configurations unchanged since its opening. Post personally designed all stairways, which were fabricated by Architectural Iron Works of New York City.
The walls surrounding the stage and ceiling featured elaborate frescoes painted by G. Garibaldi; those above the stage were later concealed by a large tracker action organ installed in October 1890.
Most original frescoes remain visible except on the ceiling where restoration work during 1930 coincided with replacing the chandelier. The initial chandelier included 14,000 hand-cut French prisms illuminated by 260 gas burners controlled by a single traveling gas jet. This lighting was converted to electricity in October 1923 and subsequently replaced with the current chandelier still operated via hand crank. After a fire caused by gas lighting in 1928, all illumination was switched to electric by 1929 for safety reasons. New frescoes added in 1930 displayed Art Deco motifs along with names of classical composers such as J.S. Bach and Haydn encircling the ceiling’s perimeter.
In 1989, this building received designation as a National Historic Landmark.
Organ
The organ at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, designated Opus 190 and crafted by J.H. & C.S. Odell of Yonkers, New York, dates back to 1882. Initially, it was housed in the residence of financier William Belden in New York City. In 1889, the Troy Savings Bank acquired the instrument for $12,470, with installation completed by October 1890 within the Music Hall. The organ remained in working order until the 1960s when it gradually fell into neglect.
A restoration project in 2006, spearheaded by the Organ Historical Society alongside Connecticut-based organ builders S.L Huntington & Co., successfully returned the organ to playable status. This revival was highlighted at the Organ Historical Society’s convention held that same year.
Acoustics
The hall’s exceptional acoustics are influenced by several architectural elements: its narrow shoebox configuration, early reflections from sidewalls, lofty ceiling height, seating comprising 1,180 cushioned wooden chairs, a shallow design beneath the balcony, thick plaster finishes, intricate decorative features, and an organ niche that amplifies sound projection. These characteristics establish the venue as highly regarded for its acoustic sensitivity and make it a preferred location for concerts and recording sessions.
External links
- Music venues in New York (state)
- Commercial buildings completed in 1870
- National Historic Landmarks in New York (state)
- National Register of Historic Places in Troy, New York
- Buildings and structures in Troy, New York
- Event venues on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)
- Bank buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)