Description

Since opening in 2009, Melbourne Recital Centre has evolved beyond a venue, becoming a cultural cornerstone, a creative force, and a community ignited by the power of music. 

The building features two striking performance spaces, carefully crafted by ARM Architecture to bring musicians and music-lovers closer together. The Elisabeth Murdoch Hall is lined with exquisite plywood panels of Australian plantation hoop pine timber, designed to resemble the back of a beautiful instrument and provide greater acoustic intimacy across the 1000-seat auditorium.

The organic acoustics of the hall extend to the  Primrose Potter Salon, an intimate 150-seat performance and event space. Melbourne-born composer Percy Grainger’s 1937 graphic score, Free Music No.2, is inscribed across the surface to inspire players and audiences alike.

A 2007 gift from the Kantor and Calvert-Jones families enabled the establishment of the Centre’s self-presented artistic program. Elisabeth Murdoch Hall is named in acknowledgement of this gift and named in honour of the Centre’s founding patron, the late-Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC DBE.

In 2018, Lady Primrose Potter AC continued this transformative legacy, enabling the Centre to flourish in the next decade and beyond with the Primrose Potter Salon named in her honour. 

In 2026, construction commenced on The Peter and Ruth McMullin Beacon. Positioned on the uppermost level of the building, The Beacon will offer spectacular, uninterrupted views across Melbourne’s skyline and become a place for audiences to enjoy a variety of musical experiences.

What's On

Come explore the sounds behind the honeycomb with tours, digital concert experiences, and the opportunity to perform on the Elisabeth Murdoch Hall stage as part of Choir 3006, our free community choir where all are welcome. No singing experience required!