The $4 million transformation of North Colonnade into the Taylor Music Center was celebrated Saturday evening with a musical ceremony and dinner.
The festivities began shortly after 5 p.m. in the Fred L. Emerson Auditorium, a 100-seat hall that anchors the new center. Brothers James W. Taylor ’66 and John E. Taylor ’74 donated $1.4 million for the renovation and the Fred L. Emerson Foundation made a $500,000 grant. A plaque noting those donors and others including the Male and Pedowitz families now hangs in the building.
President Stephen C. Ainlay spoke briefly during an hour-long ceremony that included performances from the College’s Jazz Ensemble, Choir and Orchestra.
College Relations hosted a champagne reception and dinner for donors, College officials, faculty and students.
Students and faculty began classes on Jan. 3 in the Taylor Music Center.
Emerson Auditorium is equipped with teaching space and state-of-the-art recording technology. Music Department Chair Tim Olsen has been teaching in Emerson Auditorium and led a jazz performance there on Monday, April 30, that included jazz trumpeter and composer Chris Rogers.
Surrounding the performance hall are practice rooms, high-tech classrooms and faculty offices.
"It’s a beautiful, functional building,'' said Hilary Tann, the John Howard Payne Professor of Music and former department chair. "But it has a little extra. It has grace. It has elegance. It has the latest technology, whether it be the music stands or the Steinway B or the music tech studio. We are beyond fine. We really are.”
The practice rooms and offices house 13 new pianos purchased by the College to replace the old pianos and electronic keyboards. Made by Steinway and Sons and valued at more than $200,000, the pianos will give the College a prestigious ranking as an All-Steinway School.
The Taylors own the Gloversville, N.Y.-based Taylor Made Group, a leader in the boating industry, manufacturing windshields and supplying after-market products.
“We’re both interested in supporting music and the arts at Union and feel that’s a fitting place for our gift,” said John Taylor, who majored in computer science and also studied psychology. His son Bryan is a member of the Class of 2008.
The North Colonnade, located in the campus’ historic Ramée section, was constructed in 1815, made into a physics laboratory in 1852 and renovated again in 1977, according to a plaque on the corner of the building.