Acoustics: Acoustics is the quality, clarity and balance of sound waves as they move through a space. The sound the audience hears is dependent on the room's many surfaces, including the walls, ceiling and floor coverings, as well as the shape of the room, chairs and people.

Acoustic canopy: An acoustic canopy is a set of hanging sound reflectors that can be adjusted to bounce sound in different directions enhancing sound quality during a performance. An acoustic canopy is hung from the ceiling above the Verizon Hall stage.

Arena: In an arena audience members are seated in tiers on three sides of the stage in a configuration that resembles a horseshoe. The Perelman Theater's center section of seats is removable, allowing for arena seating.

Backstage: The backstage area is the area behind and on the sides of the stage, unseen by the audience. Sets and props are often held backstage while not in use, and actors and musicians wait there before going to the stage to perform.

Barrel vault: The Kimmel Center's semicircular glass-and-steel roof is called a barrel vault because it resembles a large glass barrel that has been cut in half lengthwise and positioned on its side.

Black box theater: A black box theater is a performance space that is ideal for experimental productions because it can be arranged in many configurations depending on need. The Kimmel Center's black box theater is called Innovation Studio and is located in the first basement level.

Civic space: A civic space is a place where people are encouraged to gather. The Commonwealth Plaza between Verizon Hall and Perelman Theater is the Kimmel Center's public, or civic, space.

Concert hall: A concert hall is a large room designed especially for symphonic and other musical performances. Verizon Hall is a 2,500-seat concert hall built specifically for The Philadelphia Orchestra.

Design team: A design team is a group of architects, engineers, and designers who work closely together to plan every aspect of a project. The members of The Kimmel Center's design team are led by internationally acclaimed experts in their respective fields: architect Rafael Viñoly; acoustics designer Russell Johnson of Artec; and theater designer Richard Pilbrow of Theatre Projects Consultants.

Fly space: Fly space is the area above the stage where scenery, backdrops and lighting equipment can be raised out of sight, or flown, off the stage. The Perelman Theater's stage has a fly space, but Verizon Hall does not.

Founders: Founders are people who establish or set up a new organization. RPAC's founders will be honored in The Kimmel Center with their names inscribed on the black granite "Founders Wall" outside of the Perelman Theater.

Glazing: Glazing is the construction term used for sheets of glass that fill in windows. The unique designs of the glass barrel vault skylight and the glass end walls at the Kimmel Center have rarely been attempted before in the glass industry.

Groundbreaking: A groundbreaking ceremony commemorates the official beginning of a new construction project. Often a famous person will be invited to dig the first shovel of dirt signaling the start of construction. RPAC's groundbreaking ceremony was held November 12, 1998 and was led by then-Philadelphia Mayor Edward G. Rendell.

Inaugural season: The term "inaugural season" refers to the schedule of events during the first year that a new venue is open. The inaugural season at The Kimmel Center begins after the Opening Celebration in January 2002 and includes performances by comedian Bill Cosby, flutist James Galway, the New York Philharmonic and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, among many others.

Maestro: Maestro is the Italian term for a leader and is often given as an honorary title to an orchestra conductor.

Opera house: An opera house is a performance hall designed especially for the various needs of an opera production. An opera house is built to accommodate the great amount of space required for sets, scenery, lighting, orchestra, and dressing rooms. The historic Academy of Music was originally built as an opera house in 1857.

Proscenium stage: Proscenium is the term used for a stage that is framed by an arch, separating the stage from the audience. The Perelman Theater has a proscenium stage when the center section of seats is in place.

Scaffolding: A scaffold is a temporary structure of metal pipes and wooden planks that provide an elevated platform for both workers and materials during the construction of a building.

Sprung floor: A sprung floor is a wood floor designed with resilience and flexibility to help prevent injuries to dancers as they leap, twist and tumble. The Perelman Theater stage has a sprung floor in order to accommodate the numerous dance troupes scheduled to perform there, including resident dance company PHILADANCO.

Topping off: A topping off ceremony celebrates the placement of the final piece of steel in a building under construction. The Kimmel Center's "Topping Off" ceremony was held in July 2001.

Subscription: A subscription is the payment of money in exchange for tickets to a series of concerts. The Kimmel Center offers five different series as subscriptions: Great Orchestras on Tour, Great Artists, Recitals & Ensembles, Jazz, and Dance. Each series consists of four concerts.

Tier: Unlike a free-hanging balcony, a tier is a level of seating within a theater containing a series of rows rising one above another. The Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall has three seating tiers.