The new Hamel Music Center opened doors Friday with a ribbon cutting ceremony by Chancellor Rebecca Blank followed by a student collage concert.
Prior to the Hamel Music Center’s construction, students and faculty of the Mead Witter School of Music resided in the Mills Music Hall inside the Humanities building, an outdated facility built in 1878.
With the combination of Pamela and George Hamel Jr.’s $15 million donation in 2007 alongside Carol and Paul Collins $5 million donation, the Holzan Moss Bottino architecture firm was allowed to begin designs for the building.
George W. Mead and his wife Susan Feith donated $25 million from the Mead Witter Foundation along with 105 other donors in order to raise just under $56 million to begin construction on the project.
The Mead Witter Foundation Concert Hall will seat 660 audience members with a stage large enough to hold the entire UW-Madison Orchestra or Varsity Band. Collins Recital Hall, the secondary performing hall, will hold up to 300 audience members.
UW-Madison employed local Wisconsin-based companies and businesses to build the hall in order to preserve the style and architecture known to our state.
