UC Berkeley Unveils New Recital Hall

The 100-seat Helen and Thomas Wu Performance Hall will complement the university's larger Hertz Hall

UC Berkeley's newest concert venue, the Helen and Thomas Wu Performance Hall, is a 100-seat recital hall that was converted from an old lecture theater. The upgraded version of the space features a larger stage and new seats, as well as state-of-the-art sound, lighting, and digital technology.

The space will serve as a venue for a wide variety of performances, including of jazz, choral groups, chamber ensembles, Baroque opera productions, and Latin and Chinese music ensembles. Given the space's technological capacity, it has also been conceived as a home for the music department's research partner, the Center for New Music and Audio Technologies.

The renovation came about as part of a significant increase in enrollments for the music department. This is partially due to a re-designed curriculum that offers a wider range of music, including jazz, Latin, and world music, but interest in Western art music is also climbing steadily.

The idea for the space, as well as its funding, was provided by Laurene Wu McClain and Charles McClain, who felt that the school could use a smaller performance space to complement Hertz Hall, a 678-seat theater.

"It'll be transformative," said David Milnes, Chair of the Department of Music, of the venue. "There are so many uses for the new hall. It's going to be an excellent place for people from all kinds of disciplines to come and present their work."

"We want to establish ourselves as a center for artistic endeavor in all of Northern California. We want to be known for our innovative art-making and discussion."

"Our music major numbers have doubled and are on the way to being tripled," he added. "Kids want to study, play, and perform music. The concert halls are just exploding with their enthusiasm and talent!"