Orchestra shell’s final piece in place

By Guy D’Astolfo

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown Symphony Orchestra will open its 2010-11 season surrounded by a new $419,000 orchestra shell on its home stage at Powers Auditorium.

The Symphony Society raised $294,000 toward the project. The final piece came last week, when the Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission in Columbus approved a $125,000 matching grant for the shell.

The shell will replace the current one, a tan-colored series of undulating panels that hang over the stage and along the sides. It was installed in 1968. The new shell will be installed in June or July.

Like the current one, the new shell will be made of multiple pieces but it will look much different, said Patricia Syak, president of the Youngstown Symphony Society. “It will be made out of wood,” she said. “Also, if you are on stage now and look up, you can see big gaping holes [in the shell] that allow the sound to escape.” The new one will not have that problem, said Syak.

In addition to better acoustics, the new shell will feature integrated lighting. “The illumination on stage will be better for the orchestra,” said Syak.

The new shell will also operate more efficiently than the current one, thereby reducing labor costs. “It won’t take as long to put up and take down, and it won’t need as many man-hours.”

The Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission is a state agency that supports economic development, expands educational opportunities and improves the state’s cultural facilities. Since 1988, it has disbursed more than $400 million in capital funds appropriated by the Legislature and governor for facility improvement projects at nonprofit theaters, museums, historical sites and publicly owned professional sports venues.