Albert L. Filoni

Albert Lawrence Filoni, 74, of Pittsburgh, PA, passed away peacefully on Saturday, October 15th in the presence of his loving family. The son of Albert and Amelia, Albert was born in 1942 and grew up in California PA amongst a close knit family that included his doting aunts, Rose and Lena. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Bethany College with a degree in architecture before receiving his master’s degree in architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.  He was then awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study abroad at the Kunst Akademie in Dusseldorf, Germany.

After returning to Pittsburgh to start his family, he would eventually begin a long and rewarding career in 1980 as a partner at MacLachlan, Cornelius, & Filoni Architects, serving as President for the past 34 years. Under his leadership, the firm would complete many well-known projects both nationally and locally including master planning and designs for numerous colleges, universities, hospitals, and churches. In addition to his design work, Albert helped train future architects as both a Professor of Design and Master Committee Chairman at Carnegie Mellon University during the 1980s.

A lover of classical music and opera, Albert enjoyed symphonies and operas around the world, and also served on the Board of Directors for the American Wind Symphony, Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Dance Council, and Touchstone Center for Crafts.  Professionally, he specialized in theater architecture and led the design of numerous theater and music centers at various small colleges around the country.  

Albert’s vision, creativity, and leadership shaped several award-winning projects that form the heart of what is today known as the “Cultural District” in downtown Pittsburgh. These include the Byham Theater and the Center for the Creative & Performing Arts School (CAPA), a regional magnet school for the Pittsburgh Public School system that offers highly specialized training in music, the visual arts, theater, dance, and the literary arts for over 900 students. His signature and favorite projects were the renovation of two classic theaters: Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts, home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, home of the Pittsburgh Opera.

Albert’s passion for opera led him to travel and design opera sets for productions around world, including Verdi’s Macbeth for the State Opera of South Australia, Adelaide, and Gounod’s Faust for the Pittsburgh Opera. This production of Faust traveled to The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and the Vancouver Opera in British Columbia. Additionally, he was responsible for the Pittsburgh Opera productions of Verdi’s LaTraviata and Don Carlos, Bellini’s Norma, and Puccini’s Tosca; for the staging of Wagner’s Die Walküre at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires; and most recently, Albert designed Massenet’s opera Don Quixote with his friend Mr. Tito Capobianco for the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

As great an architectural legacy as he left, his greatest love was always centered around his family and friends. He was a wonderful father to his loving sons, Michael and David, his daughters-in-law Kathryn and Anne, and a loving figure to his granddaughters, Theresa and Caroline. Al loved to travel, especially by train. He had a kind heart and was loved by all for his creativity, good humor and compassion. He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony, with a public memorial service to be announced at a future date and time. Memorial donations may be made to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Pittsburgh Opera.

A Memorial Service has been scheduled for April 22, 2017 at 2:00 pm in Heinz Hall.

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