Shuttered between the 1970s and 2008, the 1924 Historic Balboa served both Vaudeville and movies in San Diego. MCH's several reuse examinations indicated that its potential for symphony, chamber music and opera was extraordinary. MCH capitalized on these attributes and extended the room's functionality with both a proper sound system and variable acoustics. For San Diego's performing arts groups, the 1350-seat theater's size and acoustical properties are now an ideal match.

"It's not only the acoustics in the theater, but the feeling in the theater, the spirit of the theater. The intimacy”, says Nancy Bojanic, Mainly Mozart's executive director.

“And there was life to the sound. And certainly, what more could you ask for? As soon as the musicians began rehearsing, the impression was that we really hit it here." says Principal Clarinetist, Greg Raden