About Us
Set on 45 acres of beautifully-landscaped wooded land in Alpharetta, GA, north of Atlanta in Fulton County, the 12,000-seat Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park will seat 7,000 under a roof, and another 5,000 on a lawn area. The venue provides a unique setting for both music lovers and first-time concertgoers.
The Amphitheatre has quickly become characterized by its distinctive fan-shaped roof, comprised of a translucent cloth-like material, suspended over a steel-framed structural system. It’s beautiful park-like atmosphere allows concertgoers to enjoy music under the trees, surrounded by a number of large heritage trees, plants, and flowers all native to the park.
The state-of-the-art venue – nominated by Pollstar Concert Industry Awards as 2009 “Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue” – serves as the summer home of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The scope of Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park has brought a new dimension to the region’s seasonal artistic offerings featuring concerts with the internationally-recognized Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, leading popular presentations, as well as an emphasis on community events – including high school graduations, local fundraising events, and collaborations to create family-themed days, high school music concerts, and competitions. Upon the opening of the Amphitheatre in May 2008, the ASO became the only U.S. orchestra to perform and present in its concert hall and in two amphitheatres. For 36 years, the ASO has presented and performed concerts at Chastain Park Amphitheater, the legendary award-winning 6,500-seat venue in Atlanta.
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park is owned by the Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center, Inc., and is operated by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. In addition to the Amphitheatre, Phase II long-range plans for Encore Park for the Arts – established by a consortium of prominent community leaders in north Fulton County – include a performing and visual arts complex and education center.
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, currently in its 67th season, is one of America’s leading ensembles, known for the excellence of its live performances, innovative presentations, renowned choruses, and impressive list of Grammy Award-winning recordings. The leading cultural organization in the Southeast, the Orchestra serves as the cornerstone for artistic development and music education in the region. Under the Creative Partnership of Music Director Robert Spano and Principal Guest Conductor Donald Runnicles since September 2001, the Orchestra and audiences together explore a creative programming mix, recordings, and visual enhancements, such as the signature Theater of a Concert, an exploration of different formats, settings, and enhancements for the musical performance experience. Another example is the Atlanta School of Composers, which reflects Mr. Spano’s commitment to nurturing and championing music through multi-year partnerships defining a new generation of American composers.
During its 32-year history with Telarc, the Orchestra has recorded more than 100 albums and its recordings have won 26 Grammy Awards in categories including Best Classical Album, Best Orchestral Performance, Best Choral Performance, and Best Opera Performance. The Orchestra’s Chorus has earned nine Grammy Awards for Best Choral Performance, most recently for the Berlioz Requiem in 2005.
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performs more than 200 concerts each year to a combined audience of more than a half million in a full schedule of performances which also feature educational and community concerts. A recognized leader and supporter of contemporary American music, the Orchestra recently received the 2007 award for Strongest Commitment to New American Music from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers. In addition, Robert Spano was named Musical America 2008 Conductor of the Year.
For more information, please visit atlantasymphony.org.
About the Woodruff Arts Center
The Woodruff Arts Center is the largest arts center in the Southeast as well as one of the largest in the nation. The Woodruff is unique in that it combines four visual and performing arts divisions on one campus as one not-for-profit organization. Opening in 1968, the Woodruff Arts Center is home to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Alliance Theatre, High Museum of Art, and Young Audiences. To learn more about the Woodruff Arts Center, please visit woodruffcenter.org.
Funding provided by
Major funding is provided by the Fulton County Commission under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.
This program is supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. GCA also receives support from its partner agency, the National Endowment for the Arts.