Facilities
Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts
Designed by the New York office of Pfeiffer Partners Architects, the new Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts has significantly enhanced the performance, instructional, and rehearsal opportunities for students and faculty of the Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music and Department of Theater. The acoustically beautiful 200-seat Don Buchwald Theater provides a gorgeous performance space for large ensemble concerts, including fully staged Opera Theatre productions, as well as chamber music and solo recitals. The Topfer Recital Hall, meanwhile, hosts more intimate concerts of smaller acoustic and electronic ensembles along with student recitals. The facility is fully equipped with new Steinway and Boston pianos. It is also the college's first "green building" and has received LEED Silver Certification and awards as such.
Whitman Hall & Claire Tow Theater
Whitman Hall is due to reopen this semester after renovations. The beautiful Art Deco 2,400-seat auditorium has been rechristened the Claire Tow Theater, in honor of the late distinguished alumna, and is one of the premiere concert venues in the New York City area and Brooklyn, in particular. As in years past, the theater will be available for rental for concerts and shows featuring world-class performers in a variety of genres, including classical, pop, ethnic, and children's productions as well as other outside events such as graduations.
Studio 312
Studio 312 (90 seats) continues to serve as a venue for events outside the Conservatory's main ensembles, such as Preparatory Center student and faculty recitals and master classes. With video projection capabilities and an 8.2 sound diffusion system, the hall is equipped with hard disk recording and two nine-foot concert grand pianos: a Steinway and a Yamaha Artist Series.
Studio 312 also serves as a recording facility. It is hard-wired for live recording with a full 24-track hard disk recording system. The studio provides an excellent acoustic environment for recording voice, chamber, and jazz ensembles. The control room features a Soundcraft 24-channel Ghost mixer, a Tascam hard disc digital recorder, HHB and Panasonic CD and DAT recorders, and Mackie HR 824 monitors.
Classrooms
Each classroom is equipped with a well-maintained piano and state-of-the-art sound system. There are several dedicated teaching studios, including two piano studios; both contain two seven-foot grand pianos, a Steinway and Yamaha in each. The percussion studio contains marimba, xylophone, drumset, and four timpani. There is also a dedicated voice studio.
Practice Rooms
The conservatory has 18 dedicated practice rooms, each containing an upright or small grand piano. There are numerous student lockers available in the practice room area, including ones for larger instruments such as cello, bass, and guitar.
There are also three dedicated practice rooms for percussionists, equipped with a full set of timpani, drumset, and mallet instruments.
In addition to the dedicated practice rooms, all classrooms are available for practice and rehearsal. Each classroom has an upright or grand piano.
Instruments
Whitman Hall houses three Steinway grand pianos. Studio 312 has one new Yamaha and a Steinway grand. The conservatory owns two celestes, two harpsichords, and woodwind, brass, and string instruments used primarily for music education classes. The percussion instrument collection is one of the best in the New York area.
Conservatory Concert Office
The Conservatory Concert Office produces more than 150 concerts per year, including all student recitals, faculty recitals, ensemble concerts, and guest artist presentations. The office is responsible for all aspects of concert production, including the booking of halls, arranging of recordings, and coordinating guest artists. In addition, the Concert Office oversees many of the conservatory's other functions as well including rehearsal space, instrument rentals, equipment requests, student locker assignments, and many other administrative duties pertinent to the conservatory.
Recording Facilities
Recording Studio
The conservatory's recording studio is a state-of-the-art facility, recently updated and renovated to include a ProTools HD system for recording, editing and pre-mastering. Other recent additions include a Soundcraft 32-channel Ghost mixer and Mackie HR 824 monitors with subwoofer. The studio houses both Baldwin and Steinway pianos. The studio is used for student theater productions, recitals, and professional engagements. More than 100 professional CDs have been produced utilizing conservatory recording facilities.
Studio 312
Studio 312 serves as both a performance venue and a recording facility for vocal, chamber, and jazz ensembles as well as student degree recitals. The hall is equipped with state-of-the-art recording equipment and professional-quality audio and video recordings are routinely made there.
