Why you should experience Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
Schermerhorn Symphony Center is a grand performing arts venue where SoBro's musical excellence, architectural grandeur, orchestral tradition, and cultural leadership establish one of America's finest modern concert halls.
Set along Symphony Place near Demonbreun Street and just steps from Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, this elegant Neoclassical landmark welcomes visitors through soaring colonnades, commanding interiors, landscaped courtyards, and the acoustically celebrated Laura Turner Concert Hall. Inspired by Europe's renowned nineteenth-century concert halls, the center combines timeless architecture with state-of-the-art engineering to create an extraordinary home for the Grammy Award-winning Nashville Symphony while expanding Nashville's global reputation far beyond its country music roots. The result is a destination defined by artistic excellence, architectural distinction, and one of the nation's premier classical music venues.
What you should know about Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
Schermerhorn Symphony Center is best known as the permanent home of the Grammy Award-winning Nashville Symphony, opening on September 9, 2006 after nearly three years of construction as a $123.5 million, 197,000-square-foot cultural landmark named in honor of longtime music director Kenneth Schermerhorn, who led the orchestra from 1983 until 2005. Designed by David M. Schwarz Architects with Earl Swensson Associates serving as architect of record, the center draws inspiration from internationally acclaimed venues including Vienna's Musikverein, Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, Boston Symphony Hall, and Berlin's Konzerthaus while interpreting their celebrated shoebox acoustics through contemporary engineering. At its heart stands the 1,844-seat Laura Turner Concert Hall, among the few American concert halls illuminated by 30 specially engineered soundproof clerestory windows that flood the auditorium with natural daylight while preserving exceptional acoustic isolation. The hall accommodates up to 115 musicians, features a 146-seat choral loft, houses the Martin Foundation Concert Organ with 3,568 pipes, 64 ranks, and 47 voices handcrafted by Schoenstein & Co., and incorporates a remarkable motorized seating system that lowers the orchestra floor beneath the stage to create a 5,700-square-foot Brazilian cherry and hickory ballroom in approximately two hours. Following catastrophic flooding in May 2010 that caused roughly $40 million in damage, the center underwent an extraordinary restoration before reopening on December 31, 2010, reaffirming its position as one of America's most technologically sophisticated and acoustically celebrated concert halls.
The defining quality of Schermerhorn Symphony Center lies in the seamless union of architectural beauty, engineering innovation, and musical performance. Every column, gallery, acoustic panel, handcrafted detail, and orchestral performance reinforces Nashville's remarkable evolution into a city whose cultural achievements extend across every genre of music, creating a venue that stands among the finest concert halls in North America.
How to fold Schermerhorn Symphony Center into your trip.
Schermerhorn Symphony Center is best experienced as the cultural centerpiece of an exploration through Nashville's distinguished performing arts district.
Begin at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, where the story of America's most influential musical tradition establishes Nashville's extraordinary artistic legacy before attending a performance at Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Continue to Ascend Amphitheater, whose spectacular riverfront setting showcases another dimension of Nashville's internationally renowned live music culture through nationally acclaimed outdoor performances. Conclude at Music City Walk of Fame Park, where the commemorative stars honoring renowned performers provide a fitting finale celebrating the artists who transformed Nashville into one of the world's great music capitals. The progression moves naturally from musical history to world-class orchestral performance before concluding with public tributes to the artists who shaped the city's enduring cultural identity, revealing why SoBro remains one of America's premier performing arts districts.
Where your story begins.
Start the planning journey with Foresyte Travel.
Experience immersive stories crafted for luxury travelers.
