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Green Music Center Announces Inaugural 2012-2103 Season
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The initial concept for the Green Music Center began in the 1990s with University President Ruben Armiñana, his wife Marne Olson, and local philanthropists Donald & Maureen Green – all of whom shared a vision of creating a choral recital hall on campus. Over the next few years, an inspiring visit to Tanglewood Music Center’s renowned Ozawa Hall led the four to expand their initial vision into a world-class arts center. They realized that the University, nestled in the beautiful Wine Country of Northern California, was an ideal home for a music venue unmatched by any on the West Coast and beyond.
Impressed by the acoustic excellence of Ozawa Hall, and intrigued by its indoor/outdoor design, the founders of the Green Music Center engaged William Rawn and Larry Kirkegaard, the architect and acoustician principally responsible for the design of Ozawa Hall, and San Francisco-based Theatre Consultant Len Auerbach. Their task was to create a new concert hall for the campus that would recall the spirit and quality of Ozawa Hall, while drawing on the special physical and cultural environments of the Sonoma County setting. After a strong start and more than a decade of planning and construction, in late 2006 the economy began to be challenging and fundraising slowed dramatically until the beginning of 2011. This is when Joan and Sanford I. Weill – newcomers to Sonoma County – gave Sonoma State its largest ever cash gift. Their generous $12 million contribution enabled the completion of the concert hall and adjacent lawn and paved the way for the September 29 opening. The elegant stone Trione courtyard lined with 125-year-old olive trees welcomes guests to Weill Hall, a traditional shoebox shaped 1,400 seat hall made with beautiful warm woods including European steamed beech, white maple and Douglas fir. Weill Hall boasts extraordinary views of the rolling Sonoma Mountains from large windows lining the north and east walls and seating areas include a main orchestra floor, two side galleries which connect to a chorus balcony at the rear of the stage and an upper balcony at the rear of the hall. In a nod to the inspiration of Ozawa Hall in Tanglewood, a “barn door” at the back of Weill Hall opens onto terraced patio levels and lawn seating, giving audiences outside a magical chance to connect with performers onstage. (learn more) |