THE CROWD:

The concert hall is alive. On a tour of the recently completed Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall last week, within steps of entering the building I could feel the energy of a remarkable edifice created to deliver the finest sounds of music attainable. It’s a scientific phenomenon; the entire structure surrounds you, the walls talk, the floor bounces, and as you enter the concert hall, the electricity in the room crackles — you sense it from head to toe.

The acoustical quality of the 2,000-seat Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall has been the charge of world-renowned acoustician Russell Johnson working closely with internationally acclaimed architect Cesar Pelli. The building has been carefully created expressly for symphonic music. The seating areas are surrounded by reverberation chambers that open and close by motorized doors that can be adjusted to complement the sound coming from the concert stage.

The state-of-the-art hall features a beautiful orchestra level on a gentle rising plane, with seating upholstered in a persimmon-red fabric that contrasts the light-colored natural wood used throughout the ultra-contemporary space. Each seat is individually climate-controlled with air conditioning and heating ducts beneath to offer maximum comfort.

In addition to the orchestra level, there are tiers of balconies with box seating that rise above the orchestra floor. The tiers are curvilinear and surround the entire concert hall. And there is very special seating behind the stage, offering patrons a very close and intimate association with the performance from a rear-view angle.

One more note: The concert hall will house one of the largest organs in the world, which will take years to properly season to attain the finest organ sound obtainable.

On Saturday evening, Sept. 16, the second gala grand opening for the Segerstrom Center for the Arts will unfold with a celebration called “Reverberations.” It will be a night for the Pacific Symphony and maestro Carl St. Clair to shine. Violinist Midori will join St. Clair and the symphony to perform Beethoven’s “Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major.” In addition, the Pacific Choral will welcome soloists Cynthia Haymon-Coleman, Christopheren Nomura and Nathan Berg. Following the performance, a fabulous party will welcome patrons and sponsors of the symphony for dinner on the plaza.

On Sunday, Sept. 17, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County will present “The Magic of Mozart” in the concert hall. Orange County will welcome conductor Ivor Bolton and the Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg, Austria, on a world tour celebrating the 250th anniversary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s birth. The evening will feature a piano concerto with two pianos played by Louis Lortie and Angela Hewitt. Classical music aficionados await the North American debut of soprano Mojca Erdmann, who is set to grace the concert hall stage next Sunday night as well.

Finally, a new restaurant will be located on the property of the concert hall that will be named after one of Orange County’s most philanthropic families. Leatherby’s Cafe Rouge will be operated by the Patina Group and will be styled with the feeling of a New York cafe. The dining room, which is not yet open and is slated to debut the weekend of Sept. 23, will seat 130 guests and will include a private dining room in addition to the restaurant to be used for special occasion bookings. Leatherby’s Café, named in memory of the late Ralph Leatherby, is part of a $5 million donation from the Ralph and Eleanor Leatherby Family Foundation given to the center’s building fund.

For more information on all of the upcoming special events at the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall or to find out more about new Leatherby’s, call (714) 556-2122, ext. 4390.