Best Concert Halls in the World

A Unesco heritage site, the magnificent Sydney Opera House hosts thousands of productions and live performances each year

 James D. Morgan/Getty images 

01
of 10

Vienna Musikverein in Vienna

Musikverein Vienna

 Imagno/Getty Images

Along with the Boston Symphony Hall, Vienna's Musikverein is considered one of the best hall's in the world. Said to be the "Golden Sound in the Golden Hall," the Musikverein's beautifully ornate auditorium combined with its exquisite sound truly make this a world class concert hall.

02
of 10

The Vienna State Opera in Vienna

Vienna State Opera

Markus Leupold-Löwenthal/CC BY-SA 3.0/Wikimedia Commons

As well as being one of the oldest in the world, The Vienna State Opera is the oldest and longest running opera in the Germanic countries.

The Vienna State Opera performs over 50 operas and 15 ballets in their 300 day season. The construction of the original building began in 1863 and ended in 1869, however, during World War II, the building was ravaged by fire and bombs. Because of this, the stage and the theater's 150,000+ costumes and props were lost and the theater reopened on November 5, 1955.

03
of 10

The Metropolitan Opera in New York City

Lincoln Center

 Rudi Von Briel/Getty Images

The Metropolitan Opera has just as much history as some of the worlds older opera houses.

Built in 1883, by a group of wealthy businessmen who wanted their own opera house, The Metropolitan Opera quickly became one of the world's leading opera companies. In 1995, The Metropolitan Opera updated their auditorium by adding small LCD screens on the back of each seat, displaying real-time text translations called "Met Titles." The auditorium is one of the largest in the world, seating over 4,000 people (includes standing room).

04
of 10

Symphony Hall in Boston

Symphony Hall in Boston

Tim Sackton/CC BY-SA 2.0/Flickr

The Boston Symphony Hall is considered by many to be one of the finest concert halls in the world and is home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops.

The Boston Symphony Hall was the first concert hall ever built on scientifically derived acoustical engineering. In fact, the hall's 1.9 second reverberation time is considered ideal for orchestral performances as everything was designed for ideal sound, no matter where you sat in the auditorium. The Boston Symphony Hall was designed after Vienna's Musikverein. Inside, the decor is minimal and the leather seats are still original.

05
of 10

Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia

Sydney Opera House

P A Thompson/Getty Images 

An Australian landmark, the Sydney Opera House is recognized throughout the world.

In January of 1956, the Australian government announced an international design contest for their "National Opera House." The contest began in February and ended in December of the same year. Jørn Utzon, after seeing an advertisement in a Swedish architectural magazine, sent in his designs. After 233 designs were entered in 1957, one design was chosen. Following the entire design process from conception to completion, the entire project cost upwards of $100 million dollars and it was completed in 1973.

06
of 10

Vienna Konzerthaus in Vienna

Vienna Konzerthaus

Steve Collis/CC BY 2.0/Wikimedia Commons

The Vienna Konzerthaus is home to the Viennese Symphony Orchestra.

It was completed in 1913 and was thoroughly renovated utilizing today's modern technologies and conveniences from 1998-2000. Together, with the Vienna State Opera and Vienna's Musikverein, all three world-class concert hall's make Vienna one of the leading cities for classical music.

07
of 10

Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles

Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles

Kayte Deioma

The youngest on our list, the Walt Disney Concert Hall was designed by Frank Gehry to be one of the most acoustically accurate concert halls in the world.

From the design started in 1987, it took 16 years for the project to be completed. A six-level subterranean parking garage was first built, and in 1999 the construction of the concert hall began. The Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown L.A. is now home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

08
of 10

Avery Fisher Hall in New York City

Avery Fisher Hall

Barry Winiker/Getty Images

Avery Fisher Hall was originally called the Philharmonic Hall. After board member Avery Fisher donated $10.5 million dollars to the orchestra in 1973, the concert hall quickly took his name.

When the hall was built in 1962, it opened with mixed reviews. The hall was originally designed after Boston's Symphony Hall, however, when the seating design changed at the request of the critics, the acoustics changed also. Later, Avery Fisher Hall went through another redesign, which resulted in what we hear and see today.

09
of 10

Hungarian State Opera House in Budapest

Interior of Hungarian State Opera House

Jean-Pierre Lescourret/Getty Images

The Hungarian State Opera House, built between 1875 and 1884, is considered one of the world's finest examples of Neorenaissance architecture.

Laden with rich, ornate statues, carvings, and art, the Hungarian State Opera House is one of the most beautiful concert halls.

10
of 10

Carnegie Hall in New York City

Carnegie Hall

 George Rose/Getty Images

Although Carnegie Hall has no resident orchestra, it remains as one of New York City's, as well as the United States, premier concert halls.

Built in 1890 by Andrew Carnegie, Carnegie Hall has a rich history of performances and performers.