Audium-Theatre of Sound

Performing arts theater · Cathedral Hill

Audium-Theatre of Sound

Performing arts theater · Cathedral Hill

1

1616 Bush St, San Francisco, CA 94109

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Audium-Theatre of Sound by shaftomagic (Atlas Obscura User)
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Audium-Theatre of Sound by null
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Audium-Theatre of Sound by null
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Audium-Theatre of Sound by null
Audium-Theatre of Sound by null
Audium-Theatre of Sound by null
Audium-Theatre of Sound by null
Audium-Theatre of Sound by null
Audium-Theatre of Sound by null
Audium-Theatre of Sound by null
Audium-Theatre of Sound by null
Audium-Theatre of Sound by null

Highlights

Cozy 49-seat theater featuring specially composed "sound sculptures" broadcast on 169 speakers.  

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1616 Bush St, San Francisco, CA 94109 Get directions

audium.org
@audiumsf

Information

Static Map

1616 Bush St, San Francisco, CA 94109 Get directions

+1 415 771 1616
audium.org
@audiumsf

Features

Last updated

Mar 4, 2025

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"Audium is the only theatre anywhere in the world that is constructed specifically for sound movement, utilizing the entire environment as a compositional tool. Audium’s conception and realization evolved jointly with the combined work of its creators, equipment designer Doug McEachern and composer Stan Shaff, both professional musicians. The Audium-Theatre of Sound-Sculptured Space consists of a foyer, main performance space, and what the owners call a sound labyrinth. It’s a building inside of a building, conceived and built specifically for this art form with the help of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The show is performed once every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. Up to 49 listeners sit in concentric circles in the theatre and are enveloped by speakers built inside of sloping walls, a floating floor, and a suspended ceiling. Compositions are performed live each night by a conductor who directs the sounds through a custom-designed console. The conductor uses any combination of the 176 speakers, sculpting the sound through direction, speed, movement, and intensity.  The lights are brought down during the performance, to the point where all you can see are small lit arrows on the floor to guide you to an exit in case you need it.  There is a short intermission where the lights are brought back up and you can discuss the experience with your friends or neighbors, explore the room a bit more, and try to discern where exactly those odd and intriguing sounds mixed into the performance were coming from. “When the concept of Audium began taking shape in the late 1950s,” the venue’s official website explains of the theatre’s founding, “space was a largely unexplored dimension in music composition. The composer who suspected space capable of revealing a new musical vocabulary found his pursuit blocked by the inadequacy of audio technology and performance spaces.”" - ATLAS_OBSCURA

San Francisco's Top 8 Wonders of 2018
View Postcard for Audium-Theatre of Sound

JD David

Google
This place is a San Francisco gem, offering a truely unique experience in sound immersion. A new crew of sound buffs have undertaken a years-long technology update, and they are bringjng in new sound artists and musicians regularly to develop programming that takes you on a journey through the darkness, borne on waves of pure sonic energy from down the street to far across the universe.

Desiree Argentina

Google
Wasn’t really to my taste. Some parts were so loud I had to plug my ears. Didn’t enjoy the sounds of traffic and people clapping and coughing. Did like the nature and chime sounds. The show was about 40 minutes long.

Sienna Parker

Google
Went on a third date here. Date (as a person) was fine, the activity was memorable. Immersive sound experience with experimental sounds rather than music.

Ria A

Google
Performance and uniqueness score 10/10, though worth noting that as a person with sound synesthesia I found it was a bit like watching a crazy chaotic movie with your ears. Pretty stimulating! On the other hand, the person I was with thought it was super relaxing and transporting. It depends how your brain is wired I think. But it's a one of a kind experience and definitely worth doing.

Nha Ha

Google
Interesting experience where you sit in a room devoid of almost all light and become enveloped in various sounds.

Charles Boyd

Google
I've been to the normal performance, but really thought the residency "Explorations of Extraction and Decay" utilized the space in a cool and immersive way, being more narrative and musical than the sound collage I'd seen there previously. Very curious to see what other artists do with this unique space.

Allan Evans

Google
This is a unique immersive audio art performance in a unique custom performance space. Father and son Stan and Dave "compose" unique blends of audio (train noises, footsteps, music, street sounds, water, nature sounds, etc,) that you listen to in the dark. Underscore Unique (some would say Odd). It's art. Not for everyone. I wasn't high, but that would definitely help the experience. Facility was built in 1975 and is showing it's age.

K N

Google
Interesting experience, good to read about it before in detail and know what to expect.