Cynthia Steele is the Orchestra Manager of the NSO.

This year at the Concert Hall, the NSO musicians have a year of "temporary". The entire downstairs of the Kennedy Center Concert Hall has just been blocked off for a year of construction.

This level of the Concert Hall is where the musicians' typical entrance is from the parking garage, the orchestra locker rooms (among other locker rooms), the Musicians' Lounge (a space where the orchestra can go between rehearsals or at intermission), a Rehearsal Room, and other dressing rooms. Certain Kennedy Center departments also have offices and other important resources are located in this area, such as the Usher's Desk.

The time had come for some much-needed renovation, and thankfully we have use of a temporary space for lockers, as well as a temporary multi-purpose room to serve the Concert Hall's many needs. There is such a variety of programming that happens in the building, that every inch of backstage will be used this year!

It gets crowded backstage on days when we have big events, such as when we perform with chorus, so we'll all get very cozy backstage this year! But everyone has a great attitude about the temporary arrangement and looks forward to the reopening of the permanent facilities next year!