The Koret Foundation has awarded a $500,000 capital grant to Sonoma State University for construction of the Donald & Maureen Green Music Center, the university announced today.
The Green Music Center, a $110 million project, joins a long list of premier Bay Area cultural institutions supported by Koret, including San Francisco's new California Academy of Sciences, the M. H. de Young Museum, and the Palace of Fine Arts.
The Sonoma State University grant will be acknowledged with the naming of the Koret Entry Plaza at the Green Music Center.
"In the San Francisco Bay Area, Koret adds to the region's vitality in part by contributing to a diverse cultural landscape," said Koret Board President Tad Taube. "A cultural gem like the Green Music Center helps vitalize the local economy, and so is a particularly important project during these challenging economic times."
The Green Music Center will comprise several buildings,including a centerpiece 1,400-seat concert hall; a 250-seat recital hall (named Schroeder's Recital Hall by the wife of the late cartoonist Charles Schulz); a music education hall; and a hospitality suite/executive conference center.
Expected to be one of the best concert venues in the world, the GMC was designed by William Rawn, architect for Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood in Massachusetts, which the Boston Symphony Orchestra calls home.
Ozawa Hall's acoustician Larry Kirkegaard was hired to ensure that the acoustics of the GMC match the level of excellence of Ozawa and other outstanding concert halls throughout the world.
"The San Francisco Opera applauds Sonoma State and its community for building a concert facility of the quality of the Green Music Center. We hope to have the opportunity to perform in this wonderful venue," said San Francisco Opera General Director David Gockley.
Long recognized for its acclaimed world-class music hall, the remarkable classical and popular music contributions of the 81-year-old Santa Rosa Symphony, and its local musical community achievements, the Green Music Center will add to Sonoma County's reputation as a North Bay destination for music lovers.
"I have been fortunate to have performed in many of the greatest concert halls in the world, and I can say that the sound quality in the Green Music Center is the equal of such world-class venues as Boston Symphony Hall and the Musikverein in Vienna.
The Green Center will offer the listener a connection to the performance which will only enhance the experience. The North Bay will soon have a musical voice heard throughout the world," says John Engelkes, a trombonist with the San Francisco Symphony.
The university expects a positive economic impact on tourism, as fans who visit the GMC will then enjoy hotels, restaurants,and wineries in Sonoma County. San Francisco's proximity, with its flourishing arts and cultural scenes, makes the new music center at Sonoma State University a perfect destination for weekend or evening events.
"This significant grant from the Koret Foundation has come at a critical juncture in our ongoing fundraising efforts. We have $16.9 million remaining to raise, and Koret's show of support for the Green Music Center will encourage our other community partners to participate in this vital project for the region," said Dr. Ruben Arminana, Sonoma State University President.
