LDV118

56 Liège Philharmonic Hall Inaugurated in 1887 with the support of the violinist Eugène Ysaÿe, the Liège Philharmonic Hall is eclectic in style but basically of Renaissance inspiration. Built on the model of an Italian theatre, richly decorated with gilding and red velvet, it was completely restored between 1998 and 2000. The hall has seating for over 1000 people, with stalls, balcony, three rows of boxes and an amphitheatre of 240 seats. The vast stage, decorated with murals depicting Grétry and César Franck (1954), is equipped with an organ by Pierre Schyven (1888, restored between 2002 and 2005). Home of the Liège Royal Philharmonic, the hall is used regularly as a recording studio for symphonic, chamber and early music. The testimony of personalities of the music world including Philippe Herreweghe, Louis Langrée, Pascal Rophé, Éric Le Sage and Paul Daniel has led several major record labels (among them Harmonia Mundi, Universal, EMI Classics, Alpha and La Dolce Volta) to choose this hall for its very fine acoustics.