“ELEGANT. Sublime. Soaring. Awesome. World-class. State of the art. Marvelous. These are just a few of the words called to mind by those first experiencing the Valley Performing Arts Center that opened last week on the California State University, Northridge [campus]. With the opening of the arts center, the Valley now has a venue that it richly deserves—a top-notch cultural center that can compete with Disney Hall and the other downtown venues to attract major musical and theatrical productions. At long last.”

Los Angeles Daily News editorial

 

“This is the most incredible theatre I’ve performed at in 4,000 years—and to think, it’s in the Valley!”

Shirley Maclaine, Academy Award-winning actress, dancer and author

 

“We’ve never seen anything like it. It’s a cultural venue second to none, and a tremendous economic engine for the Valley. This is going to pay dividends for decades to come.”

Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky as quoted in the Los Angeles Daily News

 

“The performance space is, appropriately, the star of the show….[Architect Kara] Hill worked with acousticians and engineers to create an interior that has the elegance of a cello and the versatility that every user demands….The sightlines are excellent, particularly in the upper gallery, and the seats wrap around in a horseshoe to embrace the open stage…a space that delights the eye and the ear, while serving performers and audience in equal measure.”

Michael Webb, Form magazine

 

“I am very impressed with the Valley Performing Arts Center. It’s an incredible structure. Sustainable materials were used to build it. Energy efficiency was built into it. It’s good in every way. It’s good in an artistic sense…and it’s good in an environmental sense.”

Ed Begley Jr., actor and environmental activist

 

“The first thing that I look for [in a concert space] is the quality of the sound, and there was nothing but good stuff at the Valley Performing Arts Center. I think it’s comparable to some of the best halls I’ve played in the country. And the look is very modern but has a warm feel to it.”

Doc Severinsen, jazz musician and former “Tonight Show” band leader, as quoted in “27 Reasons to Love L.A. Now,” Condé Nast Traveler

 

“I must admit that this hall is really wonderful to sing in. It has such beautiful acoustics.”

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, opera singer and Founder of the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation

 

“The building sparkles.…[T]he big wow is the lobby, whose soaring glass wall curves asymmetrically across the front of the building. The stone floor continues under the glass and, once outside, dips to become the bottom of a shallow reflecting pool that causes the facade to shimmer, day and night, with reflected light. A staircase sheathed in the same stone climbs up through the lobby—a simple, necessary element that doubles as the space’s focal point, drawing visitors’ eyes up toward a lively ceiling of suspended rectangles.”

Lawrence Biemiller, Chronicle of Higher Education

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