ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of the research on the perceptual aspects of concert hall acoustics. It explains the key characteristics and terminology of the acoustic quality of concert halls followed by a brief history of studies addressing the perception of concert hall acoustics. The chapter outlines own research on concert hall acoustics conducted by combining descriptive profiling and virtual acoustics technology. It describes the main physical characteristics of the sound field in concert halls and the major distinguishing architectural features. The audience gathers in concert halls to experience music in one of its basic forms: performed live with acoustic instruments. In a concert hall, the orchestra plays music filling the space with sounds that reflect from the surfaces of the hall reaching the listeners in a complex pattern that depends on the architecture and the design of the hall. Imagine sitting in a concert hall with a grand piano on the stage.
