Schermerhorn Symphony Center

Did I say “symphony?” Yep—indeed I did! The Nashville Symphony is one of the finest in the world. They have won a number of Grammys, give a full program of classical music each year, and some of the symphony musicians even play on country records. Actually, Nashville had a symphony before it had the Grand Ole Opry! The first Nashville symphony was formed in 1920—the Grand Ole Opry began five years later. The symphony disbanded during the Great Depression but resumed after World War II.

The Schermerhorn Symphony Center is one of the finest symphony halls in the world. It’s named after Maestro Kenneth Schermerhorn, who led the symphony for over twenty years. His ashes are buried under The Flutist statue in the garden courtyard along Fourth Avenue. The Symphony Center is modeled after European concert halls and the Laura Turner Concert Hall inside seats 1,844, and the seats can fold up and slide under the floor, so the Hall can be a big, 5,700 square foot ballroom. A motorized system does this—but to watch it borders on magic.

The concert hall is built like a shoe box—it’s long and narrow. The balconies don’t hang over the seats on the main floor, the thirty windows are soundproof and the panels and banners can adjust for acoustics so the sound you hear is perfect to your ear. The Schermerhorn does not just host the symphony—there are concerts by pop, country and jazz acts as well as speakers, banquets and weddings. It took two years to build and install the custom-built organ inside. Beethoven and Mozart would be proud.

Outside the Schermerhorn is “The Recording Angel,” a bronze statue that holds a quill pen and a record. She faces the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum and sends out the message that Music City U.S.A. is a true music city, featuring music of all kinds—for those who enjoy high culture and for those with friends in low places. If you’d like to know more about this building, check out the Broadway Architecture tour as well as the Public Art and Murals tour. If you’d like to know more about the art in and around the Shermerhorn, information is available inside.

Now, keep walking south down Symphony Place and turn LEFT at the end of the sidewalk onto Third Avenue South. Walk towards Broadway and “walk the line” until you reach the Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline Museums, which are on your left.