History:

Nestled near the intersection of two busy freeways in west Pasadena is one of the world's most beautiful and esteemed concert halls: Ambassador Auditorium.

The Worldwide Church of God built Ambassador Auditorium as a center of worship at its international headquarters in Pasadena, and later opened it to the public for fine cultural performances.

The marvelously modern auditorium took 12 years to conceptualize and two years to build. The materials and furnishings for Ambassador Auditorium have been gathered from many nations, truly making it an international cultural center.

Known as the "Carnegie Hall of the West," Ambassador Auditorium hosted 20 seasons of the world's best musicians and performers from 1974 to 1995. Its magnificent walls have reverberated with the sound of applause from 2.5 million concertgoers at over 2,500 concerts, while achieving a world-renowned reputation as one of the world's finest performance halls.

Since opening in 1974 when the Vienna Symphony Orchestra performed at its inauguration, the acoustically perfect auditorium hosted such famed performers as Luciano Pavarotti, Pearl Bailey, Yo-Yo Ma, and Vladimir Horowitz. After playing the auditorium, many of these artists concluded the acoustics exceeded those of Carnegie Hall.

During its heyday, advertisements proclaimed, "The stars shine brighter at Ambassador." Among that talented constellation of performers were Emmylou Harris, Roy Clark, Ella Fitzgerald, Hal Holbrook, Dave Grusin, Placido Domingo, Leontyne Price, Jessye Norman, Bob Hope, Gene Kelly, Ray Charles, the Dance Theater of Harlem, the Vienna Boys Choir, Peking Acrobats, American Indian Dance Company and so many others.

Many performances were heard by millions of American Public Radio listeners with "In Recital at Ambassador," hosted by opera star Beverly Sills.

Following Worldwide Church of God's relocation from Pasadena and the closure of Ambassador Auditorium, the City of Pasadena formulated the West Gateway Specific Plan to encourage development of new uses on the Ambassador West Campus to reinforce efforts to preserve the Auditorium. The Plan sought a new community with the Auditorium at its heart that offered an opportunity for a visionary center where residents and the performing arts would come together in a unique, thriving neighborhood.

After a ten-year hiatus, the esteemed concert hall was purchased by Harvest Rock Church and reopened in 2004 as its worship home as well as a venue for fine performances. Since acquiring the concert hall, the church has spent more than $1 million in its ongoing efforts to restore Ambassador to its former glory so it may fulfill its great destiny to present today's greatest performing artists and musicians.