The Academy of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the oldest opera house in the United States that is still used for its original purpose. Known as the "Grand Old Lady of Broad Street," the venue is the home for the Pennsylvania Ballet as well as the Opera Company of Philadelphia. For many years, it was also the home of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and orchestral concerts are still held there. Independence Hall Philadelphia (sometimes referred to as Philly or the City of Brotherly Love) is the fifth most populous city in the United States and the largest city in the state of Pennsylvania, both in area and population. ... The Philadelphia Orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is one of the Big Five symphony orchestras in the United States and usually considered among the finest in the world. ...

Construction began in 1855 and the venue opened with a grand ball on January 26, 1857. The first opera performed there was the western hemisphere premiere of Verdi's Il Trovatore, on February 25 of the same year. 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Western Hemisphere contains The Americas and nearby islands. ... Giuseppe Verdi, by Giovanni Boldini, 1886 (National Gallery of Modern Art, Rome) Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (October 10, 1813 – January 27, 1901) was one of the great composers of Italian opera. ... Il trovatore (The Troubadour) is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Leone Emanuele Bardare and Salvatore Cammarano, based on the play by Antonio García Gutiérrez. ... February 25 is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

The hall is designed in the manner of the grand opera houses of Europe, with an elaborately painted ceiling and three levels of balcony, each festooned with gilt eagles and other decorations. The space is dominated by an ornate proscenium, and a crystal chandelier 16 feet across. This article is about opera as an art form. ... World map showing location of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... A proscenium theater is a theater space whose primary feature is a large archway (the proscenium arch) at or near the front of the stage, through which the audience views the play. ...

While the name evokes images of an conservatory, the Academy has never had a faculty or offered classes of any kind. Various voice and instrumental competitions have taken place there, including the Pavarotti competition. The Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti (born October 12, 1935), is one of the most famous living opera singers. ...

Although the Academy's press releases have always spoken of the excellent acoustics, performers have generally found them problematic. The cavernous spaces that allow for rapid set changes during an operatic performance do not make for good resonance. It is generally accepted that the so-called "Philadelphia sound" was at least partially devised to compensate for this weakness. Extensive renovations beginning in 1994 have improved matters, but microphones and amplification are still necessary in nearly all performances.