Construction continues on new BYU music building
The construction of a new building planned to house the BYU School of Music continues on the east side of the BYU campus.
This building will include practice rooms, smaller and mid-sized recital spaces, and a 1000-seat Vineyard-style concert hall for larger shows and concerts.
The construction, originally announced in February 2020, began on June 15, 2020 and has consistently continued despite the ongoing pandemic. The new building is set to open for student use by Winter Semester 2023. The building was first planned to be in-use by Fall 2022, but the completion date has been moved back.
“We are thrilled with the beginning of construction on this new building that we hope will bless students and the community at large,” said Ed Adams, dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications, in a press release.
Music students at BYU currently rehearse and attend classes primarily in the Harris Fine Arts Center, located across from the Wilkinson Student Center towards the middle of campus. The HFAC is one of the most used buildings on campus, hosting more than 500 performances every year.
The School of Music has always been a significant part of BYU, being one of the first four departments when the school originally opened its doors to students. Since then, the program has continued to grow.
The new building will be 170,000 square feet in size and contain rehearsal and performance rooms throughout the four levels of the building. A significant aspect and the cornerstone of the building will be the Vineyard-style performing hall, which happens to be the first of its kind in the Intermountain West area, marking a significant and innovative accomplishment for the music department. Vineyard style performance spaces “are intended to keep musicians centralized, with audience seating rising above them in tiers — reminiscent of a terraced vineyard,” according to the building website.
“We are humbled and thrilled with the Board’s support of the College of Fine Arts and Communications,” Adams said. “The Church has a long history of supporting music and the arts, and this new building will expand upon the university’s commitment to producing inspiring and uplifting art.”
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