{{Short description|Symphony hall in San Diego, California, US}} {{Use American English|date=August 2025}} {{Infobox venue | name = Jacobs Music Center | image = Jacob Music Center Entrance.jpg | image_alt = | image_size = 250px | caption = Exterior view of the venue (2025) | image_map = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_caption = | former_names = Fox Theatre {{small|(1929-85)}}<br>Copley Symphony Hall{{small|(1985-2013)}}<br>Copley Symphony Hall at Jacobs Music Center{{small|(2013-2024)}} | address = 1245 7th Ave<br>San Diego, California 92101-4302 | location = Downtown San Diego | city = San Diego | country = | designation = | coordinates = | architect = {{Plain list| *Builder: Weeks and Day 2024: *Renovator: HGA *Acoustician: Paul Scarbrough *Theater Planner: Schuler Shook }} | builder = | owner = San Diego Symphony | tenant = San Diego (Orchestra) 1984 - Present San Diego Symphony Festival Chorus (Chorus) 1984 - Present | operator = San Diego Symphony | capacity = 1,831 | screens = | type = Concert Hall | opened = {{Start date|1929|11|08}} | renovated = 2021- September, 2024 | reopened = | cost = $1.5 million<br>{{small|(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|1500000|1928}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}})}} Renovations: $125 million<br>{{small|(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|125000000 |2026}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}})}} | rebuilt = | closed = | demolished = | other_names = | production = | current_use = | parking = | public_transit = | website = {{URL|https://www.copleysymphonyhall.com|Venue Website}} }}
The '''Jacobs Music Center''' located in San Diego, California, is one of the well known performance art centers in the city of San Diego. Originally known as the '''Fox Theatre''' when it was built in 1929, This venue was built and designed with the focus on the architectural style of Gothic Revival. Noted to be a luxury theater due to its elaborate design and decor, This performance hall has witnessed numerous changes through the years. In the year 1984, the structure was handed over to the San Diego Symphony, which marked the end of its long history as an office building and the beginning of its more illustrious career as an events venue. The Jacobs Music Center is home to numerous musical events in the form of symphonies, as well as community programs, in addition to its role in the field of music education, providing the platform for youth orchestras to perform, including the San Diego Youth Symphony, in addition to housing the conservatory that assists in the advancement of youth musicians. Beyond the symphony, it hosts other events, from Broadway shows to jazz and silent film screenings, enriching San Diego's cultural landscape.
== History == The Symphony Towers in downtown San Diego which is currently the second tallest building in San Diego county (Behind One America Plaza) was built around the center in 1989. The center features an enormous 4 manual Robert Morton pipe organ that is built into five walled chambers and was recently restored to its original splendor. The theatre had a seating capacity of 2,248 when it opened in 1929. The center was designed by Weeks and Day.
On February 23, 2022, the San Diego Symphony announced that '''Copley Symphony Hall at Jacobs Music Center''' would be renovated for acoustic improvements and a major stage remodel including a choral terrace. A year later in early 2023, it was announced that the San Diego Symphony would be returning to the center in a November 4 grand reopening concert.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Varga |first=George |date=2023-02-05 |title=San Diego Symphony returning to Copley Symphony Hall at Jacobs Music Center after $125 million revitalization |work=San Diego Union-Tribune |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/music/story/2023-02-05/san-diego-symphony-returning-to-copley-symphony-hall-at-jacobs-music-center-after-125-million-revitalization |access-date=2023-02-12}}</ref>
The date was pushed back and it eventually was held on 28 September 2024. Marking a very important point in the history of the venue. The $125 million renovation undertaken over a period of three years ensured that the venue, despite being renovated , retained its architectural history. By the renovations being done, The Jacob Music Center has cemented its place in San Diego and the music world. As part of the renovations and transformation the main hall within the Jacob Music Center was renamed the '''Miller Family Theatre at Jacobs Music Center'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=New Jacobs Music Center FAQ |url=https://www.sandiegosymphony.org/plan-your-visit/jacobs-music-center-faq/ |access-date=2026-01-07 |website=San Diego Symphony |language=en}}</ref>.
== Renovations == thumb|New side viewing seats thumb|Day of Music, San Diego Youth Symphony On February 23, 2022, the San Diego Symphony announced that Copley Symphony Hall at Jacobs Music Center would be renovated. The historic Jacob Music Center was renovated in a three year, $125 million project that was finished around September 2024. The renovation was led by architectural firm HGA, in partnership with Akustiks acoustic consultant, as well as theater planners Schuler Shook. In an effort to retain the venue's rich historic integrity and feel. This renovation effected changes to the stage and audience seating areas, including the introduction of a choral terrace located behind the orchestra, which in addition to supporting performances of large scale symphonic repertoire with chorus like Mahler's Symphonies No. 2 and 3,<ref>[https://hga.com/hgas-redesign-of-san-diego-symphonys-jacobs-music-center-elevates-performance-experiences-for-artists-and-patrons/#:~:text=In%20total%2C%20the%20project%20encompassed,a%20total%20of%201%2C831%20seats. https://hga.com/hgas-redesign-of-san-diego-symphonys-jacobs-music-center-elevates-performance-experiences-for-artists-and-patrons/#:~:text=In%20total%2C%20the%20project%20encompassed,a%20total%20of%201%2C831%20seats.]</ref> acts as a seating area when not being occupied by a choir, allowing people to view the orchestra from the back and adding seating. thumb|Acoustic canopy During the renovation a variety of enhanced audience seating, as well as altered main floor seating areas, greatly improved viewing opportunities across the hall. Chairs were also added to the sides of the stage and the top to allow for more seating and view. In an effort to better satisfy acoustic requirements, the renovation included a permanent orchestra enclosure, risers, a tunable acoustic canopy, and other variable acoustics elements that enable the hall to accommodate a variety of musical programs and ensemble configurations, as well as improve sound clarity and balance for both the musicians and the audience. The acoustic canopy can be moved to better suite the type of ensemble. The acoustic canopy consists of 20 custom-designed, acoustically reflective composite FRP panels. The 15 panels can be precisely and independently adjusted in three dimensions – height, tilt (upstage/downstage) and roll (stage left/stage right). The five downstage panels can be raised and lowered at their fixed orientation. Together with the canopy, another acoustical element is crucial for expanding the hall’s programming versatility. <ref>[https://hga.com/hgas-redesign-of-san-diego-symphonys-jacobs-music-center-elevates-performance-experiences-for-artists-and-patrons/#:~:text=In%20total%2C%20the%20project%20encompassed,a%20total%20of%201%2C831%20seats. https://hga.com/hgas-redesign-of-san-diego-symphonys-jacobs-music-center-elevates-performance-experiences-for-artists-and-patrons/#:~:text=In%20total%2C%20the%20project%20encompassed,a%20total%20of%201%2C831%20seats.]</ref> thumb|Acoustic wall paneling. Variable acoustic curtains rigged in multiple locations – behind the stage and along the hall’s sides and rear. Made from heavy velour with 100% fullness, these motorized curtains are predominantly concealed behind decorative, acoustically transparent woven wire screens designed to highlight finer details of the hall’s interior while balancing its heavier architectural components. State-of-the-art sound, lighting, and video systems have been provided. This includes the installation of a state-of-the-art audio system designed by L-Acoustics, featuring multi-zone speakers controlled by a processor. Although hidden, the renovation introduced new and improved musicians' lounges and dressing rooms, artist suites, a music library, and climate-controlled instrument storage. In the course of the reconstruction, the HVAC life safety system upgrade increases the amount of air and filtration and fresh air within the hall, and decreases the amount of ambient noise from mechanical systems within the performance space. Beneath the stage is an innovative piano elevator, enabling grand pianos to be transported with care to a specially designed room. thumb|Wide view of the stage The secret room is closely managed in terms of temperature and humidity, creating an optimal environment to preserve the delicate wood and parts of these pianos. The innovative design of the room ensures smooth and rapid transportation of pianos by artists and staff, including preservation of the life of these pianos as well as the exceptional sound quality demanded within the concert hall. In this process, original design components of plaster and chandeliers were restored and incorporated to retain the historic charm of this facility with enhanced functionality, making Jacobs Music Center one of the leading cultural destinations in the world. In total, the project encompassed the reimagining of 70,545 square feet of space, including performance space and back of house support spaces, as well as audience and front of house amenities. The reconfigured 22,787-square-foot audience chamber includes 862 seats on the main level with 894 seats in the balcony. The redesign created 75 additional seats available through a new opportunity above the stage in the choral terrace, for a total of 1,831 seats.<ref>{{Cite news |website=HGA |date=September 27, 2024 |title=HGA’s Redesign of San Diego Symphony’s Jacobs Music Center Elevates Performance Experiences for Artists and Patrons |url=https://hga.com/hgas-redesign-of-san-diego-symphonys-jacobs-music-center-elevates-performance-experiences-for-artists-and-patrons/#:~:text=In%20total%2C%20the%20project%20encompassed,a%20total%20of%201%2C831%20seats.}}</ref>
== Directors == * Marc Wolff (1992-1995) * Evan T. Papel (1999-2001)
== The Robert Morton pipe organ == The 4 manual Robert Morton pipe organ was originally installed in the Balboa Theatre in 1923. It was built in Van Nuys, California by the Robert Morton Organ Company. Robert Morton was the second largest builder of theatre organs, building about half as many instruments as the industry leader Wurlitzer. The organ originally had 32 ranks unified over 66 stops on four manuals. Being an early theatre organ, its design was more of an "orchestral" organ, designed for the playing of organ transcriptions of orchestral works, than the jazz based sound the later fully developed theatre organs had. It was moved to the then new Fox Theatre in 1929, as the same company owned both theatres and the Balboa was playing sound films by that time, lessening the need for an organ. The Robert Morton was the largest theatre organ in San Diego when it was installed, and has retained that title to the present. The new Fox Theatre, in addition to being the largest movie palace on the west coast at the time, was also a fully equipped Vaudeville theatre and the organ was originally intended to accompany a musical stage show running at the newly opened Fox, in addition to playing preludes and intermissions for film screenings. The organ was prominently featured in the 1929 opening gala, played by renowned organist C Sharpe Minor (Yes, that was his real name). The use of the organ lessened over the decades, and by the 1960s it had become barely playable. A group of San Diego Theatre organ enthusiasts nicknamed "The Dirty Dozen" renovated the organ in the mid-1960s and instituted a long running theatre organ concert series, which during the 1960s and early 1970s saw appearances of many of the top theater organists performing at that time. In the 1990s building renovation the organ console was disconnected for the installation of the new stage flooring, which led to a period of about 10 years where the organ was unplayable. In the early 2000s music director Jahja Ling, who started his career as an organist, spearheaded returning the organ to use with a comprehensive refurbishment and enlargement. This work was generously supported by the Peter Lloyd Crotty Foundation. At the conclusion of the early 2000s renovation, the organ had 48 ranks. In 2018, organist Cameron Carpenter played a concert on the Robert Morton, the first solo organ concert at the hall since Virgil Fox played in 1973. The organ was also featured in the popular silent film series, and used with the orchestra for compositions with an organ part such as the Strauss "Also Sprach Zarathustra" and the Saint-Saens "Organ" Symphony. During the 2023 building renovations, the organ was removed from the hall for a comprehensive cleaning. The organ chambers were renovated and improved for tonal egress as part of the general acoustic improvements to the hall. A 21 rank Positive division was added to the organ in a space directly behind the decorative arches on either side of the proscenium that was formerly inaccessible unused space in the original building design. The Positive division can be played as a stand alone, 2 manual classical style organ, or together with the resources of the Robert Morton organ.
==See also== * List of concert halls
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == {{Commons category|Copley Symphony Hall}} * [http://www.sandiegosymphony.org/copleysymphonyhall/ Official Web Page] * [http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/2277 Copley Symphony Hall] at Cinema Treasures {{Core, San Diego|state=expand}} {{Movie theaters in San Diego}} {{Music venues of California}} {{Authority control}}
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Category:Concert halls in California Category:Culture of San Diego Category:Buildings and structures in San Diego Category:Cinemas and movie theaters in San Diego County, California Category:Former cinemas and movie theaters in California Category:Gothic Revival architecture in California Category:Tourist attractions in San Diego County, California Category:Event venues established in 1929 Category:Performing arts centers in California Category:Weeks and Day buildings Category:Core, San Diego