The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center is a 21st century reinterpretation of the traditional “horseshoe” shaped opera house, engineered specifically for performance of opera and musical theatre, with stages equipped for the performance of ballet and other types of dance.
The Winspear Opera House was designed by Foster + Partners under Pritzker prize-winning architect Norman Foster and Deputy Chairman Spencer de Grey. Renowned for its outstanding acoustics, intimate 2200-seat performance hall and iconic architecture, it is one of the nation’s premier performing art venues.
“Quite justifiably, it has come to be recognized as America’s finest opera house,” wrote critic John Allison of Opera (U.K.) magazine.
The entrance features the Annette and Harold Simmons Signature Glass Facade, which ascends 60 feet creating a seamless visual appearance between the vibrant interior red glass panels and the surrounding Sammons Park. Radiating from all sides, the slatted Sky Canopy provides shade to the Prothro Lobby over three acres of Sammons Park, defining outdoor spaces for visitors to gather.
The principal performance space, Margaret McDermott Performance Hall, features gold leaf covered balconies, retractable screens, a spacious fly-tower, a three-square stage with generous side and rear stage areas allowing for opera to be more easily performed in repertoire. The modern Moody Foundation Chandelier showcases more than 300 LED rods that retract into the ceiling prior to performances. This ascension is accompanied by music specially commissioned by composer Philip Glass.
Also inside the Winspear Opera House is Nancy B. Hamon Hall, an intimate 200-seat performance space that beautifully hosts a variety of programming; and the PNC Members Lounge, exclusively for patrons at specific membership levels.
The opera house is named for the late Margot and Bill Winspear, who in their lifetimes were devoted supporters of the opera art form and The Dallas Opera. Their generous gift helped enable the construction of the AT&T Performing Arts Center.