Did You Know?

Roy Thompson Hall construction began in 1978. 

The hall often received criticism, particularly from the TSO, for its stark aesthetic and cold acoustics so plans for a renovation started in 1989. 

Benson Steel fabricated the steel structure for the concert hall acoustic renovations in 2002.

The $24-million renovation project entailed an overhaul of the auditorium’s acoustic design, size and shape.

The centerpiece of the auditorium is the organ, built by Gabriel Kney. It has four manuals, a pedal keyboard, 71 stops, and 5,207 pipes.

The first concerts in the gala opening festival, in September 1982, included two commissions:

Fanfare by Ray Luedeke for the Toronto Symphony, and Sun by R. Murray Schafer for the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.