The CCK Blue Whale Auditorium is the new headquarters of Argentina’s National Symphony Orchestra. Dedicated to symphonic concerts, chamber music and popular music, it has adjustable acoustic devices –variable height and tilt reflectors, reverberation chambers and expandable absorbent surfaces–, which permit an ideal acoustic configuration for each of its functions. It is equipped with motorized stage platforms and has a Klais organ with 56 stops and 3600 pipes. Since its inauguration, the Blue Whale has become a central pillar of the musical activity of Buenos Aires.

"I really liked the idea of performing my works in this magnificent building. The acoustics are wonderful, some of the best that I've experienced. It is ideal for the three selected pieces".

"A very warm and enveloping sound has been achieved in the CCK auditorium. It's the kind of acoustics that I like the most".

"The sound in the hall is very beautiful. The acoustics of the stage allow me to listen to hear my violin clearly and, at the same time, to each one of the members of the Orchestra".

"A city that has two rooms like these, the Colón Theater and the Blue Whale, does not need anything else".

"Barenboim was dazzled by the acoustics of the Symphony Hall, and will direct the opera Tristan and Isolda (Wagner) at the Colón and the four symphonies of Brahms and The Rite of Spring (Stravinski) at the CCK".

"... the illuminist orchestra of Brahms in the crystal clarity of the CCK, whose large auditorium at this point deserves to be considered the main concert hall of the country; for the extraordinary acoustics, for the architectural beauty, for the wide perspective. Finally, Buenos Aires has a concert hall like the best ones in Berlin or Paris".

"... on this occasion, one of the most wonderful orchestras on the planet, led by a musician who is determined to reaffirm his status as an Argentine, reached that high level here, in the beloved Blue Whale, a room of great architectural beauty and perfect acoustics".

"For the Symphony Hall of the CCK, the performance of the Staatskapelle Berlin is a sort of re-foundation, and until now it had not been possible to notice its wonderful acoustic behavior".

"Final paragraph for the heroine of the first three nights: the acoustics. I definitely say that the CCK Symphony Hall is now the auditorium for concerts in Buenos Aires".

"The Symphony Hall of the CCK became undoubtedly Buenos Aires' most suitable hall for the orchestral repertoire. The disposition of the hall allows the audience to assess aspects of the composition that go unnoticed in an Italian theatre".

"The symphonies of Brahms and the Debussy-Stravinski alliance were magical. And the Blue Whale, the great auditorium of Buenos Aires, provided not only its perfect acoustics, but an architecture that allows to see everything that happens on the stage".

The Teatro Colón de Buenos Aires, well known for its outstanding acoustic quality, was restored between 2006 and 2010. During the execution of the works, a strict control protocol followed. It included more than 10 complete acoustic measurements before the removal of seats, curtains and carpets, and many others when reinstalling them after their repair. This methodology allowed the identification and eventual correction of any possible deviation of the original acoustic behavior. The results were as expected, as evidenced by the comparison between the values taken before and after the restoration works.

One of the largest and deepest works about the acoustical quality of opera houses was carried out by Takashuki Hidaka and Leo Beranek and published in the year 2000. In that paper, they collated the opinions of many musicians that had performed in the most important halls in the world, about the acoustical quality of 23 well-known opera theatres. The Teatro Colón was placed in the highest position and was rated significantly higher than its closest competitor.
T. Hidaka, L. Beranek. “Objective and subjective evaluations of twenty-three opera houses in Europe, Japan, and the Americas,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 107 (1), 368-383 (2000).

In another paper, published in November 2003, Leo Beranek repeats the previous methodology and classifies the auditoriums for symphonic music according to their acoustical quality. Here the Teatro Colón occupied one of the first three places, along with two rooms built specifically for that purpose: the Grosser Musikvereinssaal in Vienna and the Symphony Hall in Boston.
L. Beranek. “Subjective Rank-orderings and Acoustical Measurements for Fifty-Eight Concert Halls,” Acta Acustica, 89, 494-508 (2003).

"The theater has been beautifully restored and its acoustics are undoubtedly a miracle... the acoustics of the Teatro Colón are exactly as before the restoration.".

"The most fascinating theater in the world, especially for its ideal acoustics, is the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires ... its acoustics are a dream, you want to take them with you.".

After the reopening, on May 24, 2010, the acoustic preservation of the Teatro Colón occupied the covers of the three main newspapers of Argentina.

"The acoustics, the great treasure of the Colón, remain intact. ".

"The intact acoustics of a unique hall.".

"There was a lot to applaud: the hall itself, its extraordinary acoustics and its brightness, which very few remembered.".

In order to transform the old thermoelectric power plant building into a modern auditorium for symphonic music, two complementary objectives had to be achieved: isolating the central nave from outside noise coming from a very close highway, and building an adequate acoustic field inside. A reverberation time of 1.9 s at mid-range frequencies was chosen and, to obtain to obtain a sense of sound envelopment, the amount of lateral energy reflected on the interior surfaces was maximized. Both the general geometry - with a ziggurat behind the stage and two lines of lateral runways - and the interior materials were arranged following that criterion. Finally, the room has a large acoustic reflector over the stage, whose position can be adjusted according to the the characteristics of the musical group performing, be it a large orchestra, a chamber orchestra or a soloist recital.

"In Buenos Aires music is sounding better and better ... Not only do we have the prestigious Teatro Colón now, but also the symphonic and chamber rooms of the Usina del Arte.".

"Last year, I was with Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra at the Usina del Arte. Its acoustics are only comparable with those at Teatro Colón.".

"The two rooms at the Usina have privileged acoustics.".

"The warm acoustics of the main room of the Usina gave us the chance to hear every detail of that marvellous Bartok’s concert.".

The acoustic design of the Teatro del Bicentenario aimed to achieve an enveloping acoustic field and a great sound presence in every seat. The particular geometry of the room, with a wavy horseshoe plan, the height of the balconies, the shape of the proscenium, and the materials used were arranged to this end. The hall has a large acoustic reflector over the pit of the orchestra, whose position can be adjusted according to the characteristics of the spectacle to be represented: opera, ballet, symphonic concert, chamber music recital or popular music recital. The pit has a special design, which allows the sound balance between the orchestra and the singers in a wide variety of musical styles, ranging from an early opera by Monteverdi to the latest operas by Wagner.

"The Teatro del Bicentenario is architecturally impressive; its acoustics are among the best in the world.".

"The Teatro del Bicentenario has become, due to its modern infrastructure and acoustic quality, one of the most important theaters in the country".

"The musicians of the Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra were amazed by the acoustics and majesty of the Teatro del Bicentenario.".