The Bassoonist Who Saved Orchestra Hall

Paul Ganson is retiring as a bassoonist in the Detroit Symphony. But his instrument is not how his colleagues will remember him best. Ganson is a legend in the Detroit music community, not just for his playing, but for a crusade that he undertook 34 years ago to save the city’s Orchestra Hall. “In September 1970, Orchestra Hall was about to be demolished and replaced by a fast-food operation, a sorry end to a proud history. The concert hall, an acoustical wonder even in its failing condition, was built in 1919…” but the DSO hadn’t performed there in years. It would take a miracle to save the dying building, and a miracle is exactly what Ganson delivered.