The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is a large performing arts venue located on Broad Street, along the stretch known as the "Avenue of the Arts", in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is owned and operated by Kimmel Center, Inc., an organization which also managed the Academy of Music in Philadelphia. The center is named after philanthropist Sidney Kimmel.
The architect of the Center was Rafael Vinoly, and the acoustician was Artec Consultants. The Kimmel Center opened in an unfinished state on December 16, 2001. Numerous cost overruns and construction delays led to the filing of a lawsuit in 2005 by officials of the Kimmel Center against Vinoly. The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed sum.
The Center is the home of the Philadelphia Orchestra, one of America's "Big Five" symphony orchestras and regarded as one of the best in the world. Currently, the Principal Conductor is Charles Dutoit.
Other resident performing arts organizations at the Kimmel Center include the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Philadanco and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. It is also home to a performance series known as "Kimmel Center Presents", which hosts a variety of jazz, classical, and world pop performers.