Reynolds Recital Hall entry to get facelift
Reynolds Recital Hall entry as it looks today...
Architectural model of the proposed Reynolds Recital Hall entry
The Department of Music's Reynolds Recital Hall Formal Entry Project campaign is in full swing. Currently $71,000 has been raised through support of alumni, friends, faculty, students and community foundations. The project has seen several design phases over the past two years. The music department has recently selected a design by architect and professor at the MSU School of Architecture, Peter Kommers, winner of the 1974 Rome Prize for Architecture. This design has cut the original budget in half while filling the needs for this important renovation project.
During the past 26 years, Reynolds Recital Hall has been utilized for classroom space as well as student and faculty concerts. More than 100 student, faculty and community performances take place in Reynolds Recital Hall each year. It is arguably one of the finest small performance halls in the West, but lacks street presence, a defined entry, and any method of communicating program information to the public. This has become a growing concern as the use of Reynolds Recital Hall is increasingly focused on community outreach and audience development.
The Reynolds Recital Hall Formal Entry Project will provide dramatic exterior improvements to the concert hall, raising public awareness while further defining the Department of Music as a leader in the arts community. Kommers' beautiful formal entry design includes a dramatically lighted entrance with a garden forecourt, a lively refurbished lobby and reception area, and programmable digital performance announcement signage.
The proposed budget for the Reynolds Recital Hall Formal Entry Project is $225,000. The university is committed to making this important renovation plan a reality. President Geoffrey Gamble states, "I am proud MSU boasts a recital hall as fine as Reynolds. It is only appropriate that an asset such as this be made more accessible to our community, students and visiting musicians." In addition to the $71,000 already raised, the Department of Music is seeking $155,000 to ensure the completion of this exciting project.
If you would like more information on the Reynolds Recital Hall Formal Entry Project or would like to contribute to this important renovation project, please contact College of Arts and Architecture development officer Anna Marcoux at 406-994-5927 or e-mail amarcoux@montana.edu.

The Reynolds Recital Hall Formal Entry Project is about instilling a sense of pride in the concerts and recitals that are presented in our hall. Our external appearance reflects how we feel about ourselves and the pride we exhibit for our work. We house amazing talent behind these walls, but we lack the ability to present that talent in the best possible light. This project provides the Department of Music and its premier concert venue, Reynolds Recital Hall, with a sense of honor and pride that better reflects the talent within and would better serve our students, our faculty and the community. — Johan Jonsson · Interim Department Head, Department of Music

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