Coulter Recital Hall will face renovations over the summer and into the fall semester to modernize its look and inner workings.
According to Dr. Robert Kehrberg, professor and head of the music department, the recital hall will be updated inside and out to improve comfort for the audience as well as convenience for the performers.
Crews will be giving the recital hall a new coat of paint, refinishing the floor, and bringing in new seats, carpet, and drapes. They will also be putting in a staircase from the backstage area to the balcony storage area.
To improve the acoustics, workers will be installing two sets of doors at each entry, so that sounds from the lobby will not enter the hall. This “bleed-through” noise has been a problem in the hall, according to Kehrberg.
The acoustic panels on the walls of the hall will be removed and replaced with new ones.
The greenroom, or support room for the stage, will be redone, and new lights will be installed. The water closet/ shower area in the room will be remodeled, and the intercom system between the greenroom and the backstage area will be completely overhauled.
These renovations should begin in either May or June and will continue until October or November, according to Kehrberg.
Until then, student musicians will perform their recitals in many different venues, including Coulter 173, a large band hall, and Coulter 357, a rehearsal room. Many recitals will be held off campus, possibly in local churches, since some of the ensembles will be taking their acts on the road.
University funds for renovation are financing this project, which has been in planning stages for more than two years. Funds for the project were not hit by the recent North Carolina budget crunch because the money was appropriated last year, explained Kehrberg.
Bids for construction companies will be sent out in the near future, according to Kehrberg.
Kehrberg is enthusiastic about the project.
“I think you are going to see a much different atmosphere in the hall,” said Kehrberg. “The look of the hall tends to promote those on stage to perform better.”