Aeolian Hall (Manhattan)

Aeolian Hall was a concert hall in midtown Manhattan in New York City, located on the third floor of 29-33 West 42nd Street (also 34 West 43rd Street, from the other side) across the street from Bryant Park. The Aeolian Building was built in 1912 for the Aeolian Company, which manufactured pianos. Located on the site of the former Latting Tower, which during the 19th century was a popular observatory, the 18-story building contained the 1,100-seat Aeolian Hall. The building stands next to the Grace Building.

Designed by the architects Whitney Warren and Charles Wetmore the building was completed in 1912 with its name referring to the Aeolian Company which manufactured pianos. It is 80 meters high and has 18 floors. The concert hall, which could seat 1100 spectators, was on the third floor of the building. In the summer of 1922, the company sold the building to the department store Schulte Cigar Stores Company for over $5 million.

The building continued to host concerts by the International Composers Guild up to January 1926, at least, when the appearance of African American Broadway performer Florence Mills, singing jazz-based pieces by William Grant Still, caused a minor sensation. Nadezhda Plevitskaya reportedly delighted the Aeolian Hall audience with her Russian folk songs in April 1926.

The concert hall closed in May 1926, with a performance by violinist Leon Goldman.

From 1961 to 1999, the building housed the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, and today houses the State University of New York's College of Optometry.

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