Keller Auditorium , formerly known as the Portland Municipal Auditorium , the Portland Public Auditorium , and the Portland Civic Auditorium , is a performing arts center located on Clay Street in downtown Portland , Oregon , United States . It is part of the Portland's Centers for the Arts . Opened in 1917, the venue first changed names in 1966, being renamed again in 2000 in honor of a $ 1.5 million renovation donation by Richard B. Keller. An extensive remodeling and modernization in 1967–68 effectively changed its original exterior appearance beyond recognition.
12-876: Originally holding 4,500 people, the venue now has a capacity of 3,034. The Keller Auditorium is the home of many performances of the Portland Opera and the Oregon Ballet Theatre . It was the longtime home of the Portland Symphony Orchestra (now the Oregon Symphony), from 1917 to 1984. It also housed the Oregon Historical Society and its museum from 1917 to 1965. The auditorium building occupies an entire city block in downtown Portland , bounded by Third and Second Avenues and Clay and Market Streets. The site had previously been occupied by
24-466: A stage director, and National Public Radio 's first Director of Culture Programming, who served until 2003. Stage Director Christopher Mattaliano succeeded Robert Bailey as General Director in 2003 and served through 2019. The current General Director is Susan (Sue) Dixon, who was appointed in October 2019, and is the first female general director in the opera's 56 year history. The most recent Music Director
36-702: The Keller Auditorium and Newmark Theatre, both part of the Portland Center for the Performing Arts . Portland Opera also produces a separate subscription series of touring Broadway musicals, which also take place at the Keller Auditorium. Portland Opera was founded as the Portland Opera Association in 1964 by the conductor Henry Holt. Its first performance was Strauss ' Die Fledermaus ,
48-711: The Keller Auditorium and others as a part of a summer festival format, with three operas produced in the Newmark Theatre. As part of the COVID-19 pandemic , the Portland Opera Association received $ 1 million in federally backed small business loan from First Republic Bank as part of the Paycheck Protection Program . The opera stated it would allow them to retain 73 jobs. Portland Opera's premiere performances include: Notes Sources National Public Radio Too Many Requests If you report this error to
60-545: The Portland Mechanics' Pavilion, built in 1879. The new hall was constructed in 1916–17 from designs by New York architects Joseph H. Freelander and A.D. Seymour, with local associate architects Whitehouse & Fouilhoux . Originally known as the Public Auditorium , or alternatively Municipal Auditorium, the facility's formal opening and dedication took place on July 4, 1917, and the first full concert took place
72-400: The exhibits thereafter being moved to temporary storage until completion of the new museum, which opened in fall 1966. In 1967–68 the building underwent an extensive remodeling, which included complete refacing with a new modern-style exterior, at a cost of $ 4 million. Architect for the renovation was Keith Maguire of Portland architectural firm Stanton, Boles, Maguire & Church . It
84-519: The facility. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered a campaign speech on October 18, 1956 at the auditorium . Then-Senator John F. Kennedy spoke at the auditorium on September 7, 1960. Led Zeppelin performed as an opening act on December 29, 1968 during their first North American concert tour. Portland Opera Portland Opera is an American opera company based at The Hampton Opera Center in Portland, Oregon . Its performances take place in
96-461: The following day, with what was dubbed the first annual Portland "Music Festival", featuring the Portland Symphony Orchestra (now the Oregon Symphony). Another longtime tenant of the auditorium building was the Oregon Historical Society , whose headquarters and museum were located in the building for almost five decades. The society moved from the Tourny Building in 1917, occupying space on
108-511: The only opera presented that season. Holt served as the company's General Director for the first two years of existence. The next General Director post was the Austrian conductor Herbert Weiskopf, who died of a heart attack in March 1970 after conducting a performance of Lucia di Lammermoor . The conductor Stefan Minde then took over as General Director and served until 1984, followed by Robert Bailey,
120-491: The second and third floors. In the early 1960s, the historical society approved plans to build a new facility for its exhibits, archives, research facilities and offices. In November 1964, the city's voters approved a ballot measure that sought funding for a $ 3.9 million rebuilding of the auditorium. The building had been renamed Civic Auditorium by this time. The museum in the auditorium closed permanently in June 1965, with
132-452: Was George Manahan, who held the post from 2012 to 2021. In September 2021, the company announced the appointment of Damien Geter as its interim music director, with immediate effect. Portland Opera was one of the first opera companies to introduce surtitles in its productions, and has presented several world and US premieres. In October 2014, the company announced changes in the format of its productions, by presenting some productions in
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#1732859489014144-477: Was ceremonially reopened on May 3, 1968. Only 17 percent of the original structure was salvaged as part of the remodeling, comprising mainly the north and south walls. In June 1970, Ada Louise Huxtable called the redesigned auditorium "a building of unrelieved blandness". A 2020 seismic study has indicated that the facility is not built to withstand a major earthquake; in 2022 the city of Portland dedicated $ 200,000 to study options for upgrading or replacing
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