Merkin Concert Hall

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For other uses, see Merkin.

Merkin Concert Hall is a 457-seat concert hall in Manhattan, New York City. The hall, built by Hermann and Ursula Merkin, is part of the Kaufman Center, a complex that includes the Lucy Moses School, a community arts school, and the Special Music School (P.S. 859), a New York City public school for musically gifted children. The building is an award-winning structure that has been praised for its Brutalist architectural design. Merkin Concert Hall hosts 60,000 concert goers a year.

Contents 1 Music education 2 Renovations 3 Awards 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Music education

The Lucy Moses School had a student population of 2,300 in 2006, an increase of almost 1,000 students over the past decade. The Special Music School continues to add a new grade level every year, and had 160 full-time students in 2007.

[edit] Renovations

The Kaufman Center launched a $17 million campaign to renovate the complex. The lead donors were Elaine and Henry Kaufman, who pledged $7 million towards the project. Elaine Kaufman has been a member of the Center’s board for more than twenty years, and served as its chairman from 1999 to 2005. She said, “The Center is a unique organization, placing equal emphasis on education and performance, an essential balance for developing the artists and audiences of the future.”

Renovations included restoration of the building façade using contemporary materials and redesign of the main entrance; expanded space for music classes, special events, and theater workshops, including two new classrooms and a flexible balcony educational space; enhanced audio-visual capabilities in Merkin Concert Hall, including updated listening systems for hearing-impaired concert goers and students; structural and mechanical improvements, including the installation of a new HVAC system; reupholstered seating and minor refinishing in Merkin Concert Hall; renovation and expansion of restrooms; expansion of lobby space to serve the two schools; and the redesign of Merkin Hall lobby. The renovation respects the building’s original form while enhancing its functionality and appearance. ^[1]

The goals of the renovation were portrayed in theatrical terms: “At a performance venue, the show should begin on the sidewalk. We’re going to have a welcoming new canopy over the street entrance, with the Kaufman name on it big enough to be visible from both Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue. We will transform the arrival experience and brighten it up with vivid fire-red marble—everything from coat-checking to buying your refreshments to finding your seat will take place in a more glamorous setting, so that Merkin Hall and the Kaufman Center can become more indelibly stamped on the New York mind than ever before.”

[edit] Awards

In 1997 and 2001, Merkin Hall was awarded first prize for Adventurous Programming by ASCAP/Chamber Music America. ^[2]

[edit] References

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[edit] External links

• Merkin Concert Hall