Philadelphia’s Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts turns 50 this summer, and the milestone is not just symbolic. The Mann has spent years quietly building toward this moment – expanding its campus, deepening its archives, and shaping a momentous season. This summer, the Mann’s history and future is on full display.
On June 15, visitors can experience both the “big reveal” of the new Welcoming Center and its corresponding Mann Music Hall of Fame, as well as the premiere of A Hundred Years On, a composition by Peter Boyer about five fictional people’s experiences at the Centennial Exposition on June 17th. The composition will feature grantees The Philadelphia Orchestra and The Crossing, as well as vocal soloists.
Expanding the Physical Presence
The signature project is a new Welcome Center, supported by a capital grant from the Foundation. It houses a gift shop, archival storage and office space, expanded bathrooms, a medical suite, and an exhibition space called the Mann Music Hall of Fame. Beyond its public-facing offerings, the Welcome Center will also expand the Mann’s capacity to host educational programming – a significant benefit for initiatives like the Albert M. Greenfield All City Orchestra Summer Academy (ACOSA), which welcomes upwards of 140 music students to the campus each year.
At the heart of the Welcome Center is the Hall of Fame, an interactive exhibition that blends infrastructure and technology – including several large and interactive digital displays – to immerse visitors in 50 years of milestone moments from the Highmark Mann’s summer concert seasons. One display will be a new live feed of the Mann’s current on-stage performance, which will provide audiences on hot days to enjoy performances while taking a break from the outdoors. A second display will showcase a 50th Anniversary initiative entitled “Mann Moments.” This large touch screen allows visitors to watch oral history interviews about the Highmark Mann’s past, present and future. Over the past several years, the Mann has been interviewing and recording conversations with some of the most impactful artists and stakeholders who have been a part of its history. Audience members will be able to interact with these interviews and learn about the Mann’s history – and as more noteworthy moments occur, the Mann will be able to add to this Mann Moments display. Lastly, a Digital Jukebox wall will provide a communal experience where guests can explore a digital collection of the Mann’s performances and select a song to add to a queue of music that will play throughout the Hall of Fame.
Curated Programming
In addition to expanding its physical presence, the Highmark Mann’s curated programming also features opportunities to engage with a broad audience in celebration of the country’s, exposition’s, and center’s anniversaries.
In addition to A Hundred Years On, The Philadelphia Orchestra will also perform a piece played in its first performance at the Mann – Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3. Other performances by both the Orchestra and the Philly Pops celebrate both classical music as well as live-to-screen movie performances and performers such as Boyz II Men.
BalletX’s world premiere of The Four Seasons Reimagined also captures the Mann’s forward-looking spirit — honoring its past while embracing what’s next. “We’re thrilled to have a world premiere of this new work reimagined focusing on 2026 and the future, nature, resilience, and imagination,” said Mann CEO Catherine Cahill.
Find out more about this year’s performances via this Philadelphia Inquirer article.
Impact
The Mann has identified six major goals for its 50th Anniversary season: positioning the Mann as a catalyst for good; embracing a people-first culture; attracting national awareness and recognition; deepening and expanding long-term strategic partnerships and collaborations; advancing justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and access; and growing broad, diverse audiences including national and international visitors.
Through both the Welcome Center and Mann Music Hall of Fame, as well as its programming for this summer, the Highmark Mann Center has found creative ways to meet those above goals – celebrating its anniversary while also shaping its future.