{"id":2386418,"date":"2026-04-23T20:25:54","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T20:25:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2386418"},"modified":"2026-04-23T20:25:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T20:25:54","slug":"music-to-the-ears-levitt-pavilion-steelstacks-to-have-new-state-of-the-art-sound-system-for-2026-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/music-to-the-ears-levitt-pavilion-steelstacks-to-have-new-state-of-the-art-sound-system-for-2026-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Music to the ears: Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks to have new state-of-the-art sound system for 2026 season"},"content":{"rendered":"

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BETHLEHEM, Pa. \u2014 In the 15 years since Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks first opened with a show by boogie-woogie blues singer Marsha Ball, audiences have consistently grown, drawn by the stunning venue and superior talent.<\/p>\n

Now, the Levitt plans to add superlative sound to that experience.<\/p>\n

ArtsQuest, which operates the pavilion built against the historic Bethlehem SteelStacks, today, April 23, announced a major upgrade to the venue’s sound system.<\/p>\n

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The new sound system will debut with the Levitt Pavilion\u2019s 2026 summer season on May 15.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

ArtsQuest<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The new state-of-the-art system replaces a public address system developed 25 years ago and will “deliver improved sound quality, broader coverage and an enhanced experience overall for performers and audiences,” ArtsQuest said in a release.<\/p>\n

It “elevates free concerts and live events with touring-quality audio for artists and audiences alike,” ArtsQuest said.<\/p>\n

That “will ensure that every performance \u2014 from concerts to summer movies on the lawn \u2014 meets modern production standards,” the release said.<\/p>\n

The new sound system, installed in partnership with Bauder Audio Systems of Horsham, Montgomery County, will debut with the Levitt Pavilion\u2019s 2026 summer season on May 15.<\/p>\n

The season, which will include nearly 50 free concerts, movies, community events and performances, annually draws more than 50,000 people to the Levitt Pavilion.<\/p>\n

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The Allentown Band performing in front of thousands at Levitt Pavilion in Bethlehem, Pa.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

‘All aligned to make it happen’<\/h2>\n

ArtsQuest Chief Programming Officer Patrick Brogan said the upgrade comes as \u201cthe whole SteelStacks campus now 15-plus years old” and ArtsQuest is “looking at different things about how do we continue to stay modern and on the edge and new and fresh?<\/p>\n

\u201cSo \u2026 it combined with the biggest piece for a nonprofit operation here at SteelStacks, which is the funding. It all aligned to make it happen this summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe believe free shows should deliver the same level of production quality as ticketed events, and this new system allows us to provide that for our artists, our audiences and our community.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks Executive Director Cory Stevens<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Funding for the program will come from Northampton County’s hotel tax grant program through the county Community & Economic Development Department.<\/p>\n

Longtime donors Chuck and Cindy Yeoman also contributed to the project.<\/p>\n

The cost of the system was not revealed.<\/p>\n

Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks Executive Director Cory Stevens said the new sound system “is a significant investment for the Levitt Pavilion and for everyone who experiences live music and entertainment at SteelStacks.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe free shows should deliver the same level of production quality as ticketed events, and this new system allows us to provide that for our artists, our audiences and our community,” Stevens said.<\/p>\n

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Jim Deegan<\/p>\n

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LehighValleyNews.com<\/p>\n<\/div>

People gather at the Levitt Pavilion stage at the Steelstacks campus.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

‘Meet and exceed those expectations’<\/h2>\n

The previous PA system was nearing 25 years old, “so it already was kind of old when it came to us when Levitt first opened,” Stevens said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe nature of running a non-profit is you work with what you\u2019ve got,” he said. “But the sound quality was dipping a little bit.”<\/p>\n

The system operated below the volume levels typically required by modern touring productions and required ongoing maintenance with mismatched components, ArtsQuest said in a release.<\/p>\n

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\u201cTechnologies in this area have continued to increase and gotten phenomenally better. It was a piece that we\u2019d been hearing from tours, too. It was something that they were looking for.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

ArtsQuest Chief Programming Officer Patrick Brogan<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

As a result, ArtsQuest often had to supplement the system for larger shows, adding complexity and cost to productions.<\/p>\n

\u201cTechnologies in this area have continued to increase and gotten phenomenally better,” Brogan said. “It was a piece that we\u2019d been hearing from tours, too. It was something that they were looking for.”<\/p>\n

Stevens agreed. <\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of times, bands would have to add some of their own sound equipment to amplify some of the stuff that we were doing on the stage,” he said.<\/p>\n

“So this is going to be easier for a lot of newer artists who are coming through that require certain specifications. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe took a look at that and figured if we make this investment now, it\u2019s going to be a lot easier for the artists coming to the Levitt stage.”<\/p>\n

ArtsQuest Production Manager Scott Dean said that “with the previous system, we were constantly working around limitations such as aging equipment to gaps in performance compared to what touring artists expect today.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThis upgrade removes those barriers and ensures the Levitt stage can meet and exceed those expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n

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John J. Moser<\/p>\n

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LehighValleyNews.com<\/p>\n<\/div>

Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks will have a new sound system for its 2026 season.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

‘Connecting artists to audiences’<\/h2>\n

Since those early years of the Levitt, audiences have gotten progressively larger.<\/p>\n

The lawn was designed to comfortably fit 2,500 people on chairs or blankets. But as familiarity with the quality with the venue and the talent it offers has grown, so have the audiences.<\/p>\n

Each Levitt concert these days not only fills the lawn, but the contingent sidewalks along First Street through the campus and even across the street onto the Town Square in front of ArtsQuest Center. <\/p>\n

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“That\u2019s community support for this music venue. And I think that\u2019s the way the Levitt built community \u2014 that lawn concept where everyone is together under the same night sky has really drawn audiences even beyond what we conceived.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

ArtsQuest Chief Programming Officer Patrick Brogan <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cWe say that often \u2014 the benches, the road and First Street was an architectural stroke of brilliance to allow for a larger lawn,” Brogan said. <\/p>\n

“Who knew we needed an even larger lawn, right? We thought we were building a large-enough lawn.”<\/p>\n

But he said, \u201cwe\u2019ve been doing bigger and bigger shows, and so many larger shows than we had initially intended it to be, back in 2009, 2010, when we were designing it.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that\u2019s community support for this music venue. And I think that\u2019s the way the Levitt built community \u2014 that lawn concept where everyone is together under the same night sky has really drawn audiences even beyond what we conceived.<\/p>\n

“We talk about it being one of the largest \u2018listening rooms\u2019 some nights in the Lehigh Valley in this outdoor space. <\/p>\n

“We want to make this investment to continue to give people a tremendous experience as they come out to a Levitt show.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd so to have a great sound system to deliver that is the most important piece of connecting artists to audiences here at the Levitt.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Courtesy Damn The Torpedoes<\/p>\n

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An aerial view pf Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks in 2018, when Tom Petty tribute band Damn The Torpedoes drew more than 2,000 people.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Better sound quality, less equipment<\/h2>\n

The new audio system features a full L-Acoustics ecosystem, widely regarded as an industry standard for touring and live event production. <\/p>\n

The configuration also includes advanced amplification and processing technology designed to deliver consistent, high-quality sound across the entire Levitt lawn.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s increasing our capabilities to bring in higher-caliber artists in the sense that we won\u2019t have to rent as much equipment that are needed for some of the larger tours that are coming through.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks Executive Director Cory Stevens<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“The old system was kind of just sort of blasting out into the middle, and so the sides of the lawn there, where we have separate sections, they might be getting a sub-par experience,” Stevens said.<\/p>\n

“And so the solution was to just crank everything up and make it like it was blasting everybody off the lawn.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith this new sound system, we\u2019re actually able to push the sound out more to the sides of the lawn \u2014 certainly out to those areas across First Street. <\/p>\n

“So that anybody who\u2019s there, regardless of the size of the crowd, can enjoy world-class sound.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd one thing that was pointed out to me about this new system is that we can actually have it sound cleaner and clearer without necessarily being louder.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s actually able to deliver a better-quality sound without necessarily just jacking up the volume.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additionally, Stevens said, the system is able to “individually control the fringe zones along the lawn.”<\/p>\n

“So part of what makes that sound a little bit clearer and crisper without necessarily jacking up the volume is that we can actually focus in on a certain part and adjust the settings as needed,” he said.<\/p>\n

An irony \u2014 and additional benefit \u2014 of the new system is that “it\u2019s delivering a better-quality sound with it being less equipment,” Stevens said. <\/p>\n

So setup is faster and easier setup for visiting sound engineers, and “it\u2019s taking up less real estate on the stage, so it\u2019s more space for artists to put their stuff and move around,” Stevens said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s increasing our capabilities to bring in higher-caliber artists in the sense that we won\u2019t have to rent as much equipment that are needed for some of the larger tours that are coming through.<\/p>\n

\u201cBasically we\u2019re going to have way more control and it\u2019s just a little bit less real estate in terms of how clunky some of these sub-woofer and things can be.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks will celebrate its 15th anniversary this year.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

‘Make sure we’re a centerpiece’<\/h2>\n

Brogan said the new system was piloted at the paid-ticket Levitt concert by the band Cake show last fall.<\/p>\n

“And a number people left that show saying, \u2018Wow, this is the best I\u2019ve ever heard a show sound here,\u2019” Brogan said. <\/p>\n

“Which was music to our ears \u2014 pun intended \u2014 that we were going in this direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis was an investment that\u2019s going to last 10, 15 years and really set us up for excellent sound quality in the future.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks Executive Director Cory Stevens<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Bauder Audio Systems Production Manager Brian Naab said, \u201cThis project was about delivering a system that meets the expectations of today\u2019s touring artists while improving the experience for every guest on the lawn.\u201d <\/p>\n

The new system also includes manufacturer-backed warranties ranging from five to 10 years, ensuring reliability for years to come, ArtsQuest said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was an investment that … really set us up for excellent sound quality in the future,\u201d Stevens said.<\/p>\n

Stevens, who took his position as SteelStacks Executive Director in January, said that he first considered a job with ArtsQuest when he was at a Levitt Pavilion show, \u201cseeing the steel stacks behind the stage and taking in the atmosphere.”<\/p>\n

“So if I hadn\u2019t gone to that first Levitt show, it\u2019s quite possible I wouldn\u2019t be working at ArtsQuest today,” he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very cool full-circle moment for me to be leading the charge of where Levitt\u2019s going over the next couple years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brogan said that,”across the board, whether it\u2019s opening the [ArtsQuest’s planned] Creative Factory or this upgrade to the Levitt Pavilion, we are really trying to continue to bring great guest experiences here in South Bethlehem.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the whole marketplace continues to develop and thrive, we want to make sure we\u2019re a centerpiece to that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n