FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music will dedicate its East Studio Building in a ceremony Oct. 31, officially opening the new state-of-the-art facility that marks the gateway to the university's arts corridor.
The ceremony begins at 3:30 p.m. in the Musical Arts Center, 101 N. Jordan Ave., and a reception and tours of the new building will immediately follow. The ceremony is free and open to the public. Members of the media planning to attend should contact Linda Cajigas at 812-856-3882 or lcajigas@indiana.edu for credentials.
The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music's new East Studio Building is on the northeast corner of Third Street and Jordan Avenue.
The ceremony includes remarks by IU President Michael A. McRobbie, Provost Lauren Robel, Jacobs School of Music Dean Gwyn Richards, Distinguished Professor and renowned pianist Menahem Pressler and student Steven Banks. Musical interludes will be provided by voice professor Marietta Simpson with Jacobs alumnus and director of the IU Soul Revue Tyron Cooper, the Jacobs School of Music Herald Trumpeters and the Singing Hoosiers.
"The magnificent new East Studio Building reflects both the great role that music has played in the life of Indiana University and the continued growth and progress of the Jacobs School of Music, one of the finest music schools in the world," McRobbie said. "With its unparalleled technical and acoustic facilities, it offers our world-renowned faculty and exceptional students the teaching and learning space they need as they seek to scale new heights in the performance and study of music. It also pays tribute to the many legendary musicians who have taught and trained within the hallowed halls of the Jacobs School and have built the sterling reputation of a school that continues to respect past musical traditions while always keeping an eye on the future."
The new 85,000-square-foot East Studio Building is on the northeast corner of Third Street and Jordan Avenue. It highlights the entrance to the university's music, fine arts, film and performing arts district, which includes concert halls, the Musical Arts Center, African American Arts Institute, IU Auditorium, IU Art Museum, Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts, Grunwald Gallery of Art, Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center, IU Cinema, and the Department of Theatre, Drama and Contemporary Dance.
"The potential this building holds for faculty and students of the Jacobs School is without limit," Richards said. "Thanks to its connectivity and technology, faculty are now able to reach well beyond the walls of the structure itself, furthering our reach and revealing a more expressive role for us in shaping the cultural life of our nation. We have the Lilly Endowment and scores of dedicated individuals to thank for the resource that now holds such promise for us."
Indiana University broke ground for the East Studio Building in April 2011. Its final design was approved by the IU Board of Trustees in February 2010, and its construction was made possible by a $44 million grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. Also included as part of the grant are an addition to the west side of the Musical Arts Center, including large rehearsal rooms, an audio control room, musical technical shops and common spaces.
The building provides technologically and acoustically advanced teaching and practice facilities.
Each studio features high-definition videoconferencing capabilities, enabling faculty to teach interactively around the globe. In addition to 84 faculty studios, the building houses administrative offices for the Jacobs School of Music, including Admissions and Financial Aid, Undergraduate and Graduate Advising Services, and the Office of the Deans.