Inside of the new recital hall during winter 2018. Photo by Stephanie Swindle Thomas.
New Recital Hall Supports Goal of “Making the Arts and Design Central at Penn State” Construction noises are increasingly common on the University Park campus, but those emanating from the Arts District will soon lead to something a little more melodious. The School of Music’s new recital hall, in the works since 2011 and under construction for the past year, will open in fall 2018.
School of Music staff tour the interior of the recital hall during winter 2018. Photo by Stephanie Swindle Thomas.
“Our new recital hall will serve as a centerpiece of the Arts District, and further support the College of Arts and Architecture’s strategic plan goal of ‘making the arts and design central at Penn State,’” said Barbara O. Korner, dean of the College of Arts and Architecture. “The new facility fulfills a longtime need for additional performance and rehearsal space with optimal acoustics for musicians and audience members alike. The recital hall and renovated Music I will better reflect the quality of the School of Music’s excellent programs, students, and faculty.” The 425-seat recital hall is located in front of Music Building I and the Theatre Building and connects to Music
I via a new lobby. “Vineyard-style” seating surrounds the stage, offering a more intimate performance experience. The facility also includes a large ensemble rehearsal hall, with adjustable acoustics and ample storage, and a green room that can be used for small ensemble rehearsals during the day. A glass atrium, named the Eleanor Duncan Armstrong Atrium thanks to a gift from longtime School of Music faculty members Dan and Eleanor Armstrong, overlooks the Olsan-Stone Terrace. The terrace was named with a gift from David Pyle Stone (’67 B.S. Chemical Engineering), now deceased, in memory of his parents, Marie and Kemper Stone (see separate stories on the atrium and terrace on page 7). According to Sue Haug, current professor of music and director of the School of Music from 2005 to 2017, the recital hall is “acoustically ideal,” with state-of-the-art technology for recording and live-streaming
5
