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Alumni & Donors
Capital Support
Providing state of the art facilities and technologies to adequately encourage and develop the artistic, academic, and entrepreneurial growth of students is the hallmark of a great performing arts school. The School of Music, Theatre & Dance is committed to providing the highest quality facilities for all concentrations, and to housing all of the School's departments collectively, in close proximity to one another, to further facilitate creative collaborationand inter-departmental learning.
A giant first step in that direction was accomplished in 2007 with the opening of the the Charles R. Walgreen Jr. Drama Center and Arthur Miller Theatre on North Campus, a short walk from the Earl V. Moore Buildin, the primary home of music studies. The Walgreen Drama Center was named in honor of U-M alumnus Charles Walgreen, Jr., who supported the 1997 presidential initiative that launched this building project. The 100,000 square-foot building complex includes the Arthur Miller Theatre, the Towsley Musical Theatre Studio, Stamps Auditorium and the offices and studios of the Departments of Theatre & Drama and Musical Theatre.
In October of 2012, another major breakthrough was made in bringing the School's facilities up to 21st century standards when the School of Music, Theatre & Dance received an $8-million gift from William K. and Delores S. Brehm, long-time generous supporters of the University of Michigan, to renovate and expand the Earl V. Moore Building. The gift is a catalyst and crucial contribution toward the total $23 million cost of renovating and expanding the Moore Building, the original North Campus home to SMTD. Of the total cost, $14 million is allocated from the university with the balance to come from additional fundraising.
Built in 1964, the Moore Building was designed by the eminent modernist Eero Saarinen and, when it opened, was considered one of the finest facilities in the nation for teaching music. In the last 50 years, however, the School has expanded tremendously, with the departments of theatre & drama, musical theatre, performing arts technology, jazz, and ethnomusicology added, and the student body and faculty nearly doubling in size. This growth has been accompanied by unprecedented changes in the way music and art is created, consumed, and distributed, thanks to the technological revolution of the last 30 years. As a result, renovating and expanding the Moore Building has become a critical priority.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE RENOVATION AND EXPANSION OF THE EARL V. MOORE BUILDING
- A new rehearsal hall that replicates the footprint of Hill Auditorium, designed to accommodate large instrumental ensembles, including the University Symphony Orchestra and University Symphony Band
- Renovation of the existing rehearsal hall and McIntosh Theatre, which will enhance the choral and opera programs and public performance opportunities
- Lecture hall designed especially for academic lectures, state-of-the-art classroom teaching, and visiting scholar and artist presentations
- Welcoming entrance and lobby to accommodate audiences that annually attend hundreds of recitals and performances in Britton Recital Hall, McIntosh Theatre, Blanche Anderson Moore Hall, and, soon, the new spaces within the expansion
- A substantial increase in the number of practice rooms and acoustical updates and increased room sizes and improved common space for the practice wing
- New classrooms designed with acoustical treatment for academic classes and chamber music rehearsal space
- New faculty offices and studios for one-on-one student-teacher interactions
- Suite of percussion and jazz percussion practice rooms, teaching studios, and rehearsal spaces with advanced acoustical attributes
The School of Music, Theatre & Dance is scheduled to break ground on the renovation and expansion to the Moore Building in 2014, the year of the building's Golden Anniversary. The press release announcing the Brehm gift contains complete details on this exciting project.
To learn how you can contribute, or for more information, contact:
Maureen Schafer
Director of Development & External Relations
734-764-4453
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