ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA NAMES
· KIRKEGAARD ASSOCIATES AS ACOUSTICIAN
· AUERBACH + ASSOCIATES AS THEATER CONSULTANT
· CESAR PELLI & ASSOCIATES AS MASTER PLANNER
· HINES INTERESTS AS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
FOR SYMPHONY CENTER PROJECT

ATLANTA - January 16, 2002 - Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) Board of Director Chair, Jere Drummond, announced today key members of the design and development team for the future concert hall complex - Symphony Center. The announcements were made following a full meeting of the ASO Board of Directors. The new concert hall will serve as the Orchestra's full-time performance, rehearsal, teaching and administrative home. Additionally, the Midtown site is slated to include two 35-40 story mixed-use residential, hotel and restaurant towers, a park and retail space, which will be developed by Hines Interests, co-developer with the ASO.

Kirkegaard Associates - Acoustician - Responsible for all areas of architectural acoustics.
Auerbach + Associates - Theatre Consultants - Responsible for the theatrical and    technology issues unique to the design and construction of performing arts venues.
Cesar Pelli & Associates - Master Planner - Responsible for generating the strategic land    development scenarios.
Hines - Development Manager - Responsible for building implementation and construction    management of the Symphony Center.

The announcement comes following an in-depth process that included trips to concert halls around the world, with the involvement of board and community members, musicians, staff and design professionals. The 6.2-acre Midtown property for ASO's new concert hall, Symphony Center, was purchased by the Woodruff Arts Center, corporate parent of the ASO, in March 2000.

The property, located at the corner of Peachtree Street and 14th Street, is being co-developed by ASO and Hines Interests as a live, work, play, and learn environment. The new Center will significantly expand the Woodruff Arts Center campus. It is anticipated that an architect will be named to the Symphony Center project in late spring. The architect selection process started in September, with more than 59 architects submitting proposals.

Kirkegaard Associates of Chicago, one of the leading firms in the field of acoustical design, have developed an international reputation for excellence in the acoustical design of performing arts venues including the Ozawa Hall at the Tanglewood Music Center - summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Dewan Fiharmonik Petronas in Kuala Lumpur, Malysia, and served as the acoustician for the redesign of Symphony Hall in Chicago and Davies Hall in San Francisco. Kirkegaard & Associates, which was founded in 1976 by Lawrence Kirkegaard has worked with the ASO as a consultant for several years and its current project in Atlanta is the new performing arts center at Emory University.

Auerbach + Associates built their reputation as theater design consultants for a number of performing arts projects as well as a variety of other facilities including traditional theatres and commercial entertainment venues. Among their most recent and ongoing projects include the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House, the Philadelphia Academy of Music, the Santa Fe Opera, Assembly Hall for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, The Greek Theatre (LA) and the highly acclaimed Hayden Planetarium in New York City.

Established in 1977, Cesar Pelli & Associates is a full-service architectural firm that has worked with corporate, government and private clients to design major public spaces, museums, performing arts centers, academic buildings, hotels, office and residential towers and mixed-use projects. Master planning projects include the University of Texas at Austin and Rice University. Architectural projects include the Performing Arts Center of Greater Miami, The Museum of Modern Art (NYC), the Chubu Cultural Center and Museum (Japan), Blumenthal Performing Arts Center in Charlotte. The AIA selected Mr. Pelli as one of the 10 most influential living American architects.

Founded in 1957 in Houston, Hines Interests is a privately owned real estate firm involved in developing, acquiring, leasing and managing real estate, as well as providing extensive global investment management and advisory services. The Hines portfolio currently includes more than 670 properties, representing 216 million square feet of office, mixed-use, industrial, retail and residential properties, as well as large, master-planned communities and land developments. With offices in 78 U.S. cities and 11 foreign countries, including New York, London, Barcelona, Chicago Los Angeles and Atlanta, and assets in excess of $10 billion, Hines is one of the largest real estate organizations in the world. With this announcement, the ASO formalized its on-going relationship with Hines that was begun in March of 2000. Hines role also includes the eventual purchase of the entire midtown property from the Woodruff Arts Center and donation of the Symphony Center portion of the property back to the ASO.

ABOUT THE WOODRUFF ARTS CENTER: Woodruff Arts Center is a not-for-profit center for performing and visual arts. Comprising the Alliance Theatre Company, the Atlanta College of Art (ACA), the 14th St. Playhouse, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO), and the High Museum of Art (High), the Woodruff Arts Center is ranked among the top four arts centers in the nation. Additionally, the Center raises an annual corporate campaign second only to Lincoln Center.

ABOUT THE ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is the largest arts organization in the Southeast and one of the youngest American orchestras to achieve prominence on the global stage. The current 2001-2002 season marks the Inaugural season of the Creative Partnership of Robert Spano, Music Director and Donald Runnicles, Principal Guest Conductor. The Orchestra's recordings, some featuring the globally renowned ASO Chorus, have earned 18 Grammys. Robert Spano's first recording with the ASO on the Telarc Label of Scheherazade was released in June of 2001 and Donald Runnicles recording with the ASO and Chorus of Carmina burana will be released later this month - both recordings have won critical acclaim. Now in its 57th season, the ASO performs a year-round slate of more than 250 concerts annually, including a 72-concert classical season and related series at Atlanta Symphony Hall; an annual summer pops series at Chastain Park Amphitheater, and a full schedule of educational, neighborhood and Free Parks concerts throughout the city of Atlanta. The Orchestra supports 200 young musicians annually in the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra and Talent Development programs.