# City Recital Hall

City Recital Hall in Sydney, Australia, is a purpose-built concert venue with the capacity for an audience of 1,238 people seated over three tiers of sloped seating. It is situated in the city centre in Angel Place, just off Martin Place. The architect was Peddle Thorp & Walker Architects and acoustic consultant was Arup Acoustics.

## History

City Recital Hall, opened in 1999, is the first specially designed concert venue to be built in the city since the Opera House in 1973.
The venue was initiated by the City of Sydney and was specifically designed for solo recitals, chamber music and the spoken word. The auditorium's 1.8-second reverberation time is attuned for chamber music. The spoken word and amplified music are accommodated by the operation of specially designed acoustic banners. The entire auditorium is supported on rubber bearings to avoid vibration and street sounds and the air conditioning and lighting systems have been treated to minimise external noise.
The Hall was designed in a shoebox shape, based on the classical configuration of 19th-century European concert halls. The design includes gently sloping stalls and two galleries that wrap around both sides and rear of the auditorium. The décor is of grey, gold leaf, light timber panelling and plum-coloured upholstery. The main grand stairway is white marble.
Since 2023, City Recital Hall has been undergoing a Capital Renewal Project in partnership with the City of Sydney. The renovations encompass the four foyers, including the four bars and cloakroom, the lower ground bathrooms, the dressing and green rooms, and the orchestra room. In addition, the venue's audio system has been upgraded to enable 360-degree spatial sound on all three levels, with the aim of further establishing a place in Sydney's contemporary music scene to complement classical offerings. Since June 2023, partially as a result of renovations, City Recital Hall began offering standing general admission concerts.

## Notable events and performances

City Recital Hall has hosted the following companies:
* Australian Brandenburg Orchestra
* Australian Chamber Orchestra
* Australian String Quartet
* Gondwana Voices
* Musica Viva Australia
* Pinchgut Opera
* Selby & Friends
* Sydney Children's Choir
* Sydney Festival
* Sydney Philharmonia Choirs
* Sydney Symphony Orchestra
* Sydney Writers' Festival
A list of some of the more famous musical acts that have performed at City Recital Hall include:
| Band name | Genre | Country | Year/s Played |
| Bon Iver | Indie folk | United States | 2009 |
| Sara Bareilles | Pop | United States | 2014 |
| The Milk Carton Kids | Indie folk | United States | 2015, 2023 |
| Middle Kids | Alternative / Indie rock | Australia | 2021 |
| Julia Jacklin | Indie pop | Australia | 2022 |
| Paul Kelly & Paul Grabowsky | Australian rock / Folk & Jazz | Australia | 2022 |
| Aldous Harding | Indie folk | New Zealand | 2022 |
| Peaches | Electroclash / Punk rock | Canada | 2023 |
| Femi Kuti | Afrobeats | Nigeria / United Kingdom | 2023 |
| Ichiko Aoba | Folk | Japan | 2023 |
| Cerrone | Disco / Electronic | France | 2023 |
| The Pharcyde | Alternative hip hop | United States | 2023 |
| Obongjayar | Afrobeat | Nigeria / United Kingdom | 2023 |
| Oneohtrix Point Never | Electronic / Experimental | United States | 2023 |
| Autechre | Electronic | United Kingdom | 2023 |
| Ezra Collective | Jazz / Afrobeat | United Kingdom | 2023 |
| Theo Parrish | Deep house | United States | 2023 |
| Courtney Barnett | Indie rock / Alternative rock | Australia | 2024 |
| Yothu Yindi | Rock / Indigenous music of Australia | Australia | 2024 |
| Marlon Williams | Alt-country / Folk | New Zealand | 2024 |