The State University of New York at Fredonia will introduce its newest performing arts venue at a dedication ceremony for the $8.4 million Juliet J. Rosch Recital Hall on Friday, Oct. 1 at 11 a.m.
 
Designed by J. Arvid Klein of the award-winning New York City architectural firm Pasanella + Klein Stolzman + Berg Architects, the Rosch Recital Hall was built over a three-year period by Concept Construction of Elma and is located in the eastern wing of Mason Hall, home of the SUNY Fredonia School of Music. University officials estimate that the project, which also included the addition of classroom space, music labs, practice rooms, offices, studios, and a sound recording technology suite, involved approximately 148 weeks of construction and 70,000 man-hours.
 
The addition was named for 1930 Fredonia Normal School graduate and life-long Jamestown, N.Y., resident, Juliet J. Rosch. The late Ms. Rosch was the donor of a $1 million gift to the Fredonia College Foundation to create scholarships and educational programs for School of Music students.
 
Built as a structural steel box on a concrete foundation, the Rosch Recital Hall has a brick exterior that matches the style of the existing Mason Hall buildings and is insulated by three layers of drywall. The copper roof, inspired by the original buildings, has already started to oxidize. The wood flooring on the interior of the building was crafted out of materials from the forests of Oregon and is interlaced in a combination of end-groove and tongue-in-groove techniques.
 
The Rosch Recital Hall also contains an estimated 1,400 acoustical panels, and can seat 503 people on two levels. "It is an acoustically beautiful place," said Dr. Karl Boelter, director of the SUNY Fredonia School of Music. "It is extremely well-designed, and I think, more than anything, I am excited about that. This hall really works, and it works very well."
 
The decision to build the new performing arts venue at SUNY Fredonia came in the mid-1990s after the original plan to simply renovate existing Mason Hall facilities - including the Diers Recital Hall, located inside of Mason Hall - was upgraded into the addition of a new building. The advocacy of state legislators Senator Pat McGee (R-Franklinville) and Assemblyman William Parment (D-North Harmony) helped in garnering the necessary state funds to make the construction a reality.
 
"(State) guidelines changed, and it became possible to discuss building a new structure in the courtyard outside of Mason Hall," said Dr. Peter Schoenbach, a professor of bassoon at Fredonia and the director of the School of Music from 1993 to 2003. "This allowed us to gain a new performance space that would be approximately twice the size of Diers and half the size of (1,200-seat) King Concert Hall… This was truly a bipartisan effort. The end result means something special not only for SUNY Fredonia, but for the entire region."
 
A Gala Benefit for the grand opening of the Rosch Recital Hall will come on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. when internationally acclaimed pianist Peter Serkin offers a special solo performance. Called "one of the supreme musicians of our time" by New York Magazine, Peter Serkin is the son of famed pianist Rudolph Serkin and has earned his own reputation in the music world through unmatched passion, integrity and devotion to his craft. His work has been recognized with such prestigious awards as the Deutsche Schallplatten Prize and the Stereo Review "Best Recording of the Year." Mr. Serkin received an honorary doctoral degree from the New England Conservatory of Music in May 2001 and was the first pianist to earn the Premio Internazionale Musicale Chigiana. He has been nominated for numerous Grammy awards.
 
Order tickets for the Peter Serkin Rosch Recital Hall Inaugural Event, including dinner, reception and overnight options. A portion of the proceeds from the concert will be used to fund scholarship programs within the SUNY Fredonia School of Music.