The centerpiece of the new Music Center at the Hotchkiss School is the Katherine M. Elfers Hall, a glass-walled music pavilion. The 715-seat pavilion has a flat floor orchestra modeled on Boston Symphony Hall. Parterre seating and a balcony-in-the-round give the pavilion an intimacy prized by audiences and musicians alike.

The all-glass music pavilion captures the panorama of nearby hills and lakes. The walls are made of 1¼” insulated acoustic glass panels faceted to diffract sound and produce a full, clear tone.

"This is a world class concert hall. We perform 100 concerts a year in halls all over the world, and I would rank this as one of the very best in the world. It is spectacular. The sound is excellent. The architect should stand up and take a bow…these halls are very hard to get right."
- Rolf Smedvig, lead trumpet of the Empire Brass

The pavilion gives the music arts a wholly new venue not only on the Hotchkiss School campus but also for the entire region. It hosts an annual series of performances and summer open air concerts by guest artists which are free to the public.

Individual and ensemble practice rooms, a music technology studio, classrooms, a radio station, and faculty offices complete the Center’s program.

The building employs sustainable materials and resources and has received a LEED Certified Rating from the U. S. Green Building Council.

 

Photography © Peter Aaron/Esto