Symphony Hall, constructed in 1979 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, is significant at the statewide level under Criterion C in the area of Architecture as the work of master acoustician, Dr. Cyril M. Harris. At the suggestion of Utah Symphony conductor, Maurice Abravanel, the Utah Bicentennial Commission hired Dr. Harris as the hall’s acoustical consultant. Dr. Harris was a nationally noted electrical engineering and architecture professor at Columbia University and a highly sought after designer of many acoustically acclaimed concert halls throughout the United States. Symphony Hall is the only work of Dr. Harris’ in Utah. He received the Wallace Clement Sabine Medal of the Acoustical Society of America in 1979 for “furthering the knowledge of architectural acoustics” after Symphony Hall was dedicated and opened for performances. The Sabine Medal is the top award offered by the Acoustical Society of America in the area of architectural acoustics. Symphony Hall is also significant under Criterion C in the area of Engineering for its acoustical design. As one of the most acoustically acclaimed halls in the United States, Symphony Hall stands as a recognized landmark in Salt Lake City and in Utah. Dr. Harris designed Symphony Hall with a meticulous attention to each and every detail that could impact the space’s acoustics, including the floor material, the design of the seats, the thickness of the ceiling, and the angles of the walls. Symphony Hall was described as being “second to none in acoustical quality” due to its “tremendous dynamics range” providing musicians to concentrate on tone quality rather than volume.The period of significance for Symphony Hall is 1979, the year it was completed.
