Hidden Chicago music venue draws world-class musicians

CHICAGO - Imagine a world-class concert venue so small and unassuming, even its own neighbors may not know it exists. Guarneri Hall, a 60-seat performance and recording venue, is such a place. It's perhaps Chicago's best-kept musical secret.

"Everything in here is about sound," said Guarneri Hall Founder Stefan Hersh. 

It's named after the famed 17th century violin maker, Giussepe Guarneri, Guarneri Hall sits on the third floor of a nondescript office building near State and Adams, next door to a former real estate office.

"As a first-timer, you walk in the door and you'd have no idea that in this innocuous, post-modern office building there'd be this venue that looks and feels like this," said Hersh. "Honestly, even when we built it, I had no idea. I couldn't have imagined it would turn out as well as it has."

The venue may be tiny, but acoustically it's a giant.  

"No walls are parallel," Hersh said. "No surfaces are parallel. So even though we've got a flat floor, which you have to have, we've got surfaces above which are at an angle so it doesn't set up an undesirable echo."

Hersh worked with renowned local acousticians at Threshold Acoustics to achieve "acoustic isolation," free of vibration despite the nearby El tracks.

"We wanted to make a space that was inviting and didn't feel overly technical," he said. "So it doesn't. It feels like a performance space. But what you can't see is all the technology that's built in to isolate the room from outside vibration and noise."

Hersh spearheaded Guarneri Hall to provide local musicians with a performance and recording space in the Loop, where it was needed. It opened in early 2019 and, despite the pandemic, quickly became a go-to spot for local and international artists to perform and record. It's steadily been gaining popularity since.

"It's kind of like watching the stew cook itself. I've had access to good ingredients and added them to the pot and wow, it's turned out really well. I'm excited to watch it happen," said Hersh.

Even though Guarneri Hall is dwarfed by world famous neighbors like Symphony Center and the Auditorium Theater, Hersh said concertgoers at Guarneri get an experience that can't be matched by Chicago's larger venues. Shows are always followed by a small gathering afterward where attendees can get to know the artists in person.

"People who come can feel like it's not that they just heard an artist, but they really got to know what the music is about and who the artist really is," said Hersh.

For a listing of upcoming events, visit guarnerihall.org.