Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center
The Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center, or Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré (CBA) in Spanish, is a multi-use performance centre located Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico. It features three main concert and theater halls for performing arts displays, including ballet, plays, operas and concerts, as well as contemporary music. It was renamed in 1994 after the late Puerto Rican politician and philanthropist Luis A. Ferré.
The Center opened on April 9, 1981 under the administration of then Governor Carlos Romero Barceló (PNP) after 10 years of planning, project financing, and construction. Since then, the Center has been the central part of performing arts and cultural presentations in the island’s metropolitan area, hosting internationally renowned stars such as Plácido Domingo, and various plays, ballets, operas, and similar artistic expositions. The Center is also home to the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra and the annual Casals Festival. Lately, and not without criticism, it has opened its doors to urban music.
Facilities
The Center features four main concert and theater halls, two eateries and a central outdoor plaza, each with its own unique features:
- Antonio Paoli Festival Hall – dedicated to a renowned Puerto Rican opera singer, it is the largest and most important hall of the Center. Seating is between 1,875 and 1,945, and features two stories with VIP balconies, world-class acoustic system, and a 62 by 50 foot stage perfect for scenic musical performances including, operas, ballet, popular music shows, and symphonic concerts.
- René Marqués Theater Hall – dedicated to one of Puerto Rico’s most famous playwrights and essayists, this hall seats between 748 to 781 guests and with a stage measuring 42 by 40 feet, it is specially designed for plays and musical performances.
- Carlos Marichal Performance Hall – dedicated to a respected Puerto Rican set and costume designer, the hall features seating for 210 guests in an intimate arena-styled theater.
- Sala Sinfonica Pablo Casals – symphony hall dedicated to the renowned Spanish Catalan cellist and conductor best remembered for the recording the Bach Cello Suites he made from 1936 to 1939. The $34 million building, designed by Rodolfo Fernandez, seats 1,300 and serves as the new home of the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra.[1]
- Juan Morel Campos Plaza – dedicated to the Puerto Rican composer of danzas is located right in front of the Center’s main entrance, it is a large open plaza featuring various sculptures called The Muses, the Las Tablas Restaurant, and is available for outdoor activities and presentations for 800 guests.
- Sylvia Rexach Theater Café – designed to be a fourth, but smaller, concert hall, the Café opened in 1988 and offers a relaxed nightclub theme for up to 200 guests with a small stage for intimate performances. A xylographic mural by famed local artist Antonio Martorell decorates its walls and grants homage to Sylvia Rexach, the famous Puerto Rican bolero singer and composer.
- Las Tablas Restaurant (formerly the Arts Pavilion) – is a restaurant within the Juan Morel Campos Plaza and features an award winning architectural design. The restaurant, whose theme literally embodies the phrase The Beauty of the Caribbean, is owned by international pop star Luis Fonsi and local music and concert producer Tony Mojena. Its menu, developed by Giovanna Huyke, is built around the theme the taste of music, and comprises mostly of local traditional foods prepared by its in-house chef Alexis Bartolomei.
Surrounding art
The Center is surrounded by various art expositions, including murals, paintings, and sculptures. The two largest halls feature art expositions which distinguishes each one:
- In the Antonio Paoli Festival Hall’s second floor, a 30 by 15 foot mural titled La Plena by Rafael Tufiño is on display and represents twelve famous Puerto Rican plenas by local songwriter Manuel “Canario” Jiménez: Cortaron a Elena; Temporal; El Perro de San Jerónimo; Josefina; Santa María; Tintorera del Mar; Fuego, Fuego, Fuego; Monchín del Alma; Cuando las Mujeres; Tanta Vanidad; Lola; and El Diablo Colorao. The mural was created 30 years before the opening of the Center between 1952 and 1954. It was moved to its current place in 1987 after a three year restoration project by Anton Konrad.
- In the René Marqués Hall, a 20 by 39 foot stained glass exposition titled Form and Tropical Crystals by local artist Luis Hernández Cruz illuminates its lobby with 5,700 multi-colored pieces of crystal arranged to showcase themes related to the sea, the forest, the sky and the overall tropical ambiance.
Near the entrance of the Center, various expositions greet guests and visitors, including a 40 foot aluminum sculpture by Luis Torruella titled Melodic Reflection. However, the main art theme of the Center’s entrance are The Muses. These are two separate works of art, one being an assortment of 6 foot tall bronze female sculptures along the Juan Morel Campos Plaza, designed by Annex Burgos; and the second being a large mural at the Center’s façade (pictured above), made from a mixture concrete and crystal stones and designed by Augusto Marín. Each muse represents the different arts and cultures which the Center embraces, including local and classical music, theater, literature, dance, films, architecture, sculptures, and painting.
Location
Located along the Ponce de Leon Avenue in the Santurce section of San Juan, the center is near various retail shops and residential buildings, which produce a vibrant atmosphere around the center both day and night. It has an underground parking garage offering 483 spaces for guests, although adjacent office buildings provide additional spaces.
18°26′51″N 66°4′9″W / 18.44750°N 66.06917°W