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By Ronald Blum

The Associated Press

NEW YORK 鈥� Key leaders of the New York Philharmonic and Lincoln Center, forced from their offices early in the pandemic, met in July 2020 under the trees of the venue鈥檚 Capital Grove patio to try to finally solve a decades-long problem.

Could they accelerate the timetable to address their albatross: the orchestra鈥檚 much maligned, sonically challenged home?

鈥淚t was a group moment 鈥� like wow, the hall鈥檚 going to be closed down,鈥� Philharmonic President Deborah Borda recalled. 鈥淲ell, let鈥檚 get started.鈥�

After a $550 million, two-year renovation of David Geffen Hall, the 180-year-old orchestra is returning for a series of openings beginning with tonight鈥檚 ribbon-cutting, a Friday performance for construction workers, and Saturday community concerts featuring the world premiere of Etienne Charles鈥� 鈥淪an Juan Hill: A New York Story.鈥�

鈥淲e are not in a shoebox anymore,鈥� music director Jaap van Zweden said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not nice to say that the acoustic before was really bad, but it was also not great 鈥� let鈥檚 say it like that. I鈥檓 very proud to say that the acoustic now is great.鈥�

Despite hosting high-profile film premieres and televised concerts, David Geffen Hall was shunned by many traveling orchestras.

鈥淔or Lincoln Center, this had been such a cloud for so long that we had to address this first,鈥� said Henry Timms, who became Lincoln Center鈥檚 president in 2019. 鈥淚t was important when I started this job that this made a statement about what Lincoln Center wants to be, and that was pre-COVID and pre- the murder of George Floyd.鈥�

Capacity was reduced from 2,738 to 2,200, orchestra rows were cut from 43 to 33 and two-thirds of the third tier was eliminated. Among the changes: the stage was advanced 25 feet and seven rows of wraparound seating installed behind performers and side tiers were curved.

鈥淚t鈥檚 like building a ship in a bottle,鈥� said Gary McCluskie, who led the project for Diamond Schmitt Architects. 鈥淲e completely carved out the old room.鈥�

Based at Carnegie Hall beginning in 1891, the orchestra moved about a half-mile north in 1962 to Philharmonic Hall 鈥� the first building to open at Lincoln Center. Designed by Max Abramovitz with acoustics by Leo Beranek, the auditorium was widely panned because of poor bass resonance.

Tinkering began with renovations in 1964, 1965 and 1969, followed by major reconstruction in 1976. Renamed Avery Fisher Hall, the building reopened with improved sound that still drew criticism as overly bright. Musicians couldn鈥檛 hear each other well. In another modest upgrade, sound reflectors were placed on the stage鈥檚 sides in 1992.

Unhappiness festered. The orchestra announced in June 2003 it would return to Carnegie, and then called the move off four months later. A 2005 redesign was announced and went nowhere.

Momentum built in 2015 with entertainment industry executive David Geffen鈥檚 $100 million gift. Borda returned two years later to the Philharmonic, which she had run from 1991-99, and scrapped plans to lower the auditorium.

Finally, in late 2019 officials announced a renovation that originally was to run from May 2022 through February 2024, forcing the orchestra to move for a large chunk of its 2023-24 season.

鈥淚t was two organizations: us and Phil; that particular duet has not played as beautifully over the years as it needed to,鈥� Timms said. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got two complicated organizations with powerful boards of directors and keeping the train on the tracks is a real challenge.鈥�

About $360 million had been raised at the start of the pandemic. The organizations boosted the figure to more than $400 million by year鈥檚 end, obtained bridge financing and announced the new timetable in April 2021.

Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects planned public spaces and Diamond Schmitt Architects designed them. Fisher Dachs Associates recreated the theater and Paul Scarbrough of Akustiks headed sound design.

Acoustic science has improved but is inexact. While Borda opened Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles to raves, Verizon Hall at Philadelphia鈥檚 Kimmel Center has been plagued by thin sound.

Scarbrough aimed to cut distance from the farthest seats to the stage and provide acoustic breathing room around the musicians. Sixteen acoustic fiberglass panels hang from the ceiling to allow tuning, and a mesh ceiling is above the audience. Fabric wall banners can cover walls for amplified performances.

鈥淭he main thing that didn鈥檛 work was the ceiling over the stage being much too low, so driving too much sound energy back to the musicians too quickly, making it very hard for them to hear what was happening,鈥� Scarbrough said. 鈥淭he third side tier directed too much sound energy back down to the orchestra floor, where the audience would absorb it.鈥�

Walls and tiers were resurfaced with rippled beech wood paneling to improve reverberation, replacing the 1976 renovation鈥檚 beige plaster and mahogany-hued lumber. There are 20 motorized lifts in the white oak stage, a Walker Technical digital organ, a retractable film booth, a built-in film screen and capability for rear projection. Dressing rooms and rehearsal spaces were added along with a passage to cross from right to left backstage.

What initially were gold-colored velour seats in 1976 had turned a tawdry mustard. They were replaced by a blue-and-red rose petal pattern on custom Maharam fabric, and average width increased by an inch.

Richard Lippold鈥檚 Orpheus and Apollo sculpture, suspended in the atrium until 2014, is being moved to LaGuardia Airport鈥檚 Central Hall.

Travertine exteriors remain unchanged, though new colorful art hangs on the north side.

Staircase walls are clad with 35,500 handmade Orsoni Italian tiles with yellow gold leaf and antique white gold, and other walls with 520 yards of custom felt with a rose-petal design in blue, red, orange and fuschia. Staircase ceilings are admiral blue, and the grand promenade has a terrazo floor with bronze strips.

鈥淭here is a look at Lincoln Center,鈥� Borda said. 鈥淧eople used to say it was American fascist, American imperial, but now it looks better and better as time goes on.鈥�

Lobby space more than doubled to 12,500 square feet, and a 52-foot-by-8-foot, 42 million-pixel digital screen occupies the former box office space. A 1,680-square-foot welcome center was built, a sidewalk studio facing the northeast corner replaced offices, and a restaurant called Tatiana, featuring Afro-Caribbean foods, faces the Metropolitan Opera House.

Retractable chandeliers called fireflies will rise ahead of each performance, adjustable to four brightness levels.

Nothing was certain until the afternoon of Aug. 15, when the orchestra rehearsed in the hall for the first time, playing Bruckner鈥檚 Seventh Symphony over and over.

鈥淭he first rehearsal, we were a little bit worried because it was very, very dry, but then they moved things around and it鈥檚 wonderful,鈥� said Judith LeClair, principal bassoon since 1981. 鈥淵ou could hear what you鈥檙e doing. It鈥檚 not scary to make soft attacks anymore. It鈥檚 not a bright, brittle sound anymore. It鈥檚 just a warmer, woodier sound instead of being bright and ugly.鈥�