More than six years ago, Henry Segerstrom found himself traveling back from New Haven, Connecticut, to his home of Orange County. As fate would have it, he stopped in New York City, where he dined at the St. Regis, and met his wife, Elizabeth. Looking back on their relationship, she can undoubtedly say that there hasn t been one half day since in which they haven t spoken about what Segerstrom calls the fourth great hall to support the arts in Southern California (after Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Segerstrom Hall, and Walt Disney Concert Hall). Even after being the main benefactor to one of the halls the 3,000-seat Segerstrom Hall Henry knew it wouldn t be enough for our well-educated and ever-expanding community s needs. Market surveys showed that. So he pushed forward with another project so grand that it has been numerous years in the making. Indeed, Henry s trip to New Haven was to meet with the renowned architect, Cesar Pelli, for the project. Now, with the help of his wife and family, and the support of the Orange County community, the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall has opened.
The $200-million concert hall, partly named after Segerstrom s late wife, is a breathtaking visual experience that premiered September 15, 2006, with a concert starring Placido Domingo and the Pacific Symphony. The building, which Pelli describes as a magical music box, has an exterior of an undulating wall of clear glass that was inspired by the waves of the Pacific Ocean. Enter the beautiful spacious lobby and you ll be gripped by the atrium s embracing balconies and curvy staircase. The audience chamber is just as magnificent with its flowing balconies, scarlet-rust-colored velvet seats, and a majestic Fiske organ. Coming from the same person who was the driving force behind South Coast Plaza and Segerstrom Hall, the fact that the hall is a masterpiece of art in itself isn t surprising. What is surprising is learning Segerstrom used to be a farmer.
The surrounding area of Segerstrom Center for the Arts actually used to be a dairy and lima bean farm, owned by Segerstrom s grandfather C.J. and his sons. However, Segerstrom s experiences growing up extended far beyond the fields. He traveled to Europe as a second lieutenant in World War II and also attended Stanford Business School. By the time he graduated, with degrees in business and economics, his family s business was still completely agricultural. But that would soon change.
After World War II, the federal government was selling off property on the old Santa Ana Army Air base. Segerstrom s family purchased 12 buildings and a storage plant on 76 acres with the intention of leasing them. After hiring a broker who failed do so, Henry asked his family if he could try. Incredibly, he leased the entire property in six months.
Importantly, the experience of leasing property taught Henry how to deal with the county board of supervisors. Segerstrom s family became the first business in the area to apply for major industrial zoning under the supervisors new land-use plan. Their real estate business had begun.
The May Company and Sears were the first major retailers with the Segerstroms. Using those two companies as a base, the family decided to pursue what today is South Coast Plaza. And, of course, the success he s had with the planned retail center has better enabled Henry to be so charitable. He personally contributed more than $50 million to the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, which excludes the venue s multi-million dollar land value. Beyond the facility, Henry and Elizabeth also commissioned artist Richard Serra to create an amazing 66-foot tall, 20-foot in diameter sculpture called Connector, which has been installed in the new pedestrian plaza that connects Segerstrom Center for the Arts to OCPAC s Segerstrom Hall.
Interestingly, when Henry first met Elizabeth in New York, she wasn t aware of any of his accomplishments. In fact, she initially thought he was from Orange, New Jersey. Today, she couldn t be happier to live in Orange County. She misses her clinical psychology practice, but spends a great deal of time supporting her and Henry s shared passion the arts. Consequently, she relished the opportunity to chair the opening gala celebration of the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.
As for Henry and Elizabeth, they re both very excited about the future of Orange County arts in general, especially the upcoming shows featuring the famous Russian Kirov Opera, including a performance of Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) starring Placido Domingo. The future, says Henry, will be the relocation of the Orange County Museum of Arts. Then we will have theatrical, performing [music], and visual arts together. That s Henry always thinking ahead.
David Krissman