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A Building of Note

Located on the southeast corner of Northwestern’s Evanston campus, the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Center for the Musical Arts provides a striking new addition to Northwestern’s lakefront.

The Ryan Center for the Musical Arts is the home of the Bienen School of Music and the theatre and performance studies departments and administrative offices of the School of Communication. The building includes performance and rehearsal spaces, teaching studios, classrooms, practice rooms and faculty and administrative offices. Linked to Regenstein Hall of Music and adjacent to Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, the new complex brings all areas of the Bienen School together in one location.

The building is anchored by three complementary performance facilities:

Mary B. Galvin Recital Hall

The 400-seat hall, with main floor and balcony seating, features a 50-foot glass wall behind the stage, offering audience members views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline. The hall provides optimal acoustics and is equipped with state-of-the-art sound and video equipment for recording.

David and Carol McClintock Choral and Recital Room

A flexible space for choral rehearsals, small ensemble performances and student recitals, the room seats 120.

Shirley Welsh Ryan Opera Theater

Seating 150, the theater is a versatile space for intimate opera performances and recitals, with double-height ceilings and expansive windows showcasing views of Lake Michigan.

The building’s primarily glass exterior takes maximum advantage of the lakefront location, yielding stunning views from the moment visitors enter the Carol F. Rice Lobby. Adjacent to the Galvin Recital Hall and Ryan Opera Theater is the Jean Gimbel Lane Reception Room.

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