Article

Plateau Hall/Auditorium le Plateau

Published Online February 7, 2006

Last Edited December 13, 2013

Plateau Hall/Auditorium le Plateau. Montreal concert auditorium built in the early 1930s by the Catholic School Commission.of Montreal. Adjoining the school of the same name, it is situated on Calixa-Lavallée St, in the centre of Lafontaine Park.

Plateau Hall/Auditorium le Plateau

Plateau Hall/Auditorium le Plateau. Montreal concert auditorium built in the early 1930s by the Catholic School Commission.of Montreal. Adjoining the school of the same name, it is situated on Calixa-Lavallée St, in the centre of Lafontaine Park. It seats 1307 - 807 on the main floor, 500 in the balcony.

The CSM (MSO) gave about 1500 concerts there between 1935 and 1963, when the orchestra moved to the PDA. The Montreal Women's Symphony Orchestra and the Montreal Youth Symphony Orchestra also played there. Among renowned performers who appeared at Plateau Hall were Marian Anderson, Kirsten Flagstad, Walter Gieseking, Vladimir Horowitz, Raoul Jobin, Wilhelm Kempff (Beethoven's 32 Sonatas in 1961), Mstislav Rostropovich, Erna Sack (12 recitals in one season), and Solomon. Igor Stravinsky and the violinist Samuel Dushkin gave a joint recital there in 1937.

After 1963 the hall came to be used for the presentation of variety shows, pop or folk-music concerts. The auditorium was renamed Salle Jean-Deslauriers in 1975.