Odesa Philharmonic Theater#Odesa Philharmonic Orchestra

Image:First ever philharmonic photo 1899 from odessaphilharmonic.org.jpeg

The foundation stone for the theater was laid 3 September 1894, a day after the centennial of the founding of Odesa. The building was intended as the new stock exchange, or "New Exchange" to replace the old stock exchange, and the vast hall was decorated with six panels by the artist Nikolay Karazin (1842-1908) which depict commerce throughout various stages of history.Kononova p. 106-107{{cite book|last=Herlihy |first=Patricia |orig-year=1987 |year=1991 |title=Odessa: A History, 1794-1914 |publisher=Harvard University Press |location=Cambridge, MA |isbn=0-916458-15-6}} p. 267

Like the Odesa Opera Theater before it, a world competition was announced for a conceptual design of a new Odesa stock exchange. The design of Czech architect V.J. Prohaska was considered the best. But this design did not meet all of the requirements, therefore it was modified and improved by Alexander Bernardazzi.

Construction was completed in 1898. Since 1924, the building has housed the Odesa Philharmonic.

The theatre was damaged in a Russian missile attack during the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 31 January 2025.{{Cite web |date=31 January 2025 |title=Russian missile attack seriously damages historic centre of Ukraine's Odesa |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-forces-launch-missile-attack-historic-centre-ukraines-odesa-2025-01-31/ |access-date=1 February 2025 |website=Reuters}}

The theater can seat 1,000 people and is 15 meters high and 910 square meters. The large hall has no supporting columns, and because of this, it was one of the most expensive buildings in Odesa to build.Kononova, p.107, 108Herlihy, p. 267, states the main hall is 60 meters by 120 meters

The main entrance is by a large open-sided, roofed gallery, called a loggia. The ceiling of this open entry is painted with the twelve symbols of the Zodiac.

The interior is paneled with dark Lebanese cedar, and the windows are set in white Carrara marble.Herlihy, p. 267

File:Vue de Odessa La Bourse.JPG|alt=Здание Новой купеческой биржи в 1900 году|The building of the New Merchant Exchange in 1900

File:CP Odessa Bourse. Salle des seances.JPG|alt=Вид внутреннего убранства одного из залов Новой купеческой биржи. Открытка начала XX века|View of the interior decoration of one of the halls of the New Merchant Exchange. Postcard from the beginning of the 20th century

File:Odesskaya birzha interior.jpg|alt=Вид внутреннего убранства главного зала Новой купеческой биржи. Открытка начала XX века|View of the interior decoration of the main hall of the New Merchant Exchange. Postcard from the beginning of the 20th century

The theater serves as home for the Odesa Philharmonic Orchestra, which was founded in 1937.{{cite web|title=Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra – History |url=http://www.odessaphilharmonic.org/pages.php?page=hist |work=odessaphilharmonic.org |access-date=16 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171101162307/http://www.odessaphilharmonic.org/pages.php?page=hist |archive-date=1 November 2017 |url-status=dead}} Since 1991, American Hobart Earle has conducted the orchestra.{{cite web|title=Hobart Earle |work=odessaphilharmonic.org |url=http://www.odessaphilharmonic.org/pages.php?page=hobart |access-date=30 July 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217022057/http://odessaphilharmonic.org/pages.php?page=hobart |archive-date=17 December 2013 |url-status=dead}}{{cite journal|first=Dan |last=Kening |date=21 November 2004 |title=Surprising Odessa--and those 192 steps |journal=Chicago Tribune |pages=1 |url=http://www.2odessa.com/wiki/index.php?title=Articles_on_Odessa#Surprising_Odessa--and_those_192_steps}}
*{{cite journal|first=Dana |last=Liss |date=19 July 2002 |title=Odessa Philharmonic, Earle Go "National" |journal=Kyiv Post |url=http://www.2odessa.com/wiki/index.php?title=Articles_on_Odessa#Odessa_Philharmonic.2C_Earle_Go_.22National.22}}
*{{cite journal|first=Alicia |last=Anstead |date=27 March 1998 |title=Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra American conductor tirelessly works to resurrect talented Ukrainian musical organization |journal=Bangor Daily News |url=http://www.2odessa.com/wiki/index.php?title=Articles_on_Odessa#Bangor_Daily_News}}
*{{cite journal|first=Charlie |last=Huisking |date=6 March 1998 |title=An American in Ukraine |journal=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |pages=3 |url=http://www.2odessa.com/wiki/index.php?title=Articles_on_Odessa#An_American_in_Ukraine}}

It is an enduring myth that everyone in the city knows (and continues to promulgate) that since the building was originally designed as a Stock exchange rather than a concert hall it was made to be sound-resistant, rather than sound-conducting, in order to provide more privacy to visitors. Seems the myth created by Soviet singer Leonid Utyosov. In his memories, Utyosov half-jokingly described the building's appearance.Spasibo Serdce/Leonid Utyosov. - Moscow: Vagrius, 2006. — {{ISBN|5-9697-0257-9}} This supposedly explains why the acoustics are rather poor, as compared with other theaters and concert halls, and performers must use microphones and amplifiers to be heard adequately. The precise and technical reasons for the acoustic problems at the hall were reported by world famous acoustics consultant Russell Johnson, the specifics of which can be found on the Philharmonic's website (https://web.archive.org/web/20180530074859/http://www.odessaphilharmonic.org/pages.php?page=conc)

{{cquote|...a handsome building of oriental architecture [it] is a center of activity. The trading takes place in a splendid hall on lines similar to those of the board of trade at Chicago.Herlihy, p. 267, quoting {{cite book|last=Curtain |first=William Eleroy |year=1911 |title=Around the Black Sea: Asia Minor, Armenia, Caucasus, Circassia, Daghestan, the Crimea, Roumania |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton |location=New York}} p. 329.}}

• {{cite web |title=Official site of Odesa Philharmonic Theater |work=www.filarmonia.odessa.ua |url=https://www.filarmonia.odessa.ua/}}
• {{cite web |title=Odesa Philharmonic Orchestra |work=odessaphilharmonic.org |url=http://www.odessaphilharmonic.org/index.php |access-date=2006-08-09}}
• {{cite web |title=Odesa Philharmonic Theater |url=http://www.2odessa.com/wiki/index.php?title=Philharmonic_Theater |access-date=2006-08-09}} 20 photos of the theater

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Category:Theatres in Odesa

Category:Italiiska Street, Odesa

Category:Theatres completed in 1898

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Category:Gothic Revival architecture in Ukraine

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