Acoustically superb Jordan Hall is the heart and soul of New England Conservatory and is central to the musical life of New England, with performances by the world's leading soloists and ensembles interspersed with NEC recitals and concerts. The hall has been an obligatory stop on the international concert circuit from Jacques Thibaud and Harold Bauer in 1903 to Gil Shaham and Thomas Quasthoff today.
Playing at Jordan is kind of an out of body experience
In April 1994, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt bestowed National Historic Landmark status jointly on New England Conservatory and on its premier concert hall, Jordan Hall. NEC was the first music school in the nation to receive the distinction of such a dual designation.
The landmark designation came after a thorough review by the National Park Service, at the end of which NEC was deemed meritorious for its presence and influence in American music, its consistent engagement in broadening the appeal of music, and its historic status as an unaffiliated, independent school of music.
Opened October 20, 1903, at construction cost of $120,000, with trustee Eben D. Jordan, 2nd, as benefactor; architect was Wheelwright and Haven
Awarded National Historic Landmark status (with NEC) in April 1994
First major restoration conducted May–October 1995, at cost of $8.2 million, as a primary goal of $25 million "Music from the Source" fundraising campaign
Post-restoration awards include: 1996 Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservation Award, the Victorian Society in America's Preservation Commendation, the 1996 Boston Preservation Alliance Award, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America Award of Merit, and the Illuminating Engineering Society 1996 Lumen Award
Centennial celebrations in October 2003 marked the launch of $100 million "Gift of Music" fundraising campaign
