The New home of Rockport Music and the Rockport Chamber Music Festival

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Download Construction Updates for 3/4/2010

Thanks to an extraordinary gift from a visionary donor, Shalin Liu ­ for whom the building will be named - the Campaign for the new Performance Center has a very promising beginning.

Imagine…a superb concert hall in a historic oceanfront setting, where audiences come from around New England and beyond to hear a broad array of exceptional performances – an acclaimed string quartet, a jazz trio, or well-known pianist. The rich, lively sound and the close relationship between audience and the performers nearby become an essential part of the experience.

Imagine…this intimate and inviting hall is open year round, hosting a variety of events – a film series, simulcasts of Metropolitan Opera performances, lectures by well-known authors, cabaret performances, and civic gatherings.

Imagine…this performance center places a premium on programs for students, helping them to grow musically, educationally, and personally, enriching young people by fostering a life-long appreciation for the performing arts.

Situated between the Atlantic Ocean and Main Street in Rockport, Massachusetts, the new performance center will be at the heart of one of the country’s oldest art colonies, an area steeped in the rich past of coastal New England village life. The building will honor our naming donor, Shalin Liu, a visionary philanthropist who believes in the transformative power of music, especially in the lives of young people.

An Extraordinary Setting…

An Extraordinary Opportunity
The new center will be the permanent home of the Rockport Chamber Music Festival and of Rockport Music’s year round performances and educational programs for audiences of all ages. We believe the Shalin Liu Performance Center will become a cultural resource for the greater Boston community, attracting well-known performers, audiences, and visitors to Cape Ann – in short, we believe it will become a destination.

True to our Roots but Never Standing Still
The Rockport Chamber Music Festival is widely recognized as one of the most distinguished chamber music festivals in the United States. Praised for its exhilarating performances and imaginative programming, the Festival presents a series of classical concerts each summer – many sold out in advance – by internationally known ensembles and soloists. Under the leadership of Artistic Director, David Deveau since 1995, the Festival has grown steadily in quality, attendance, and national reputation.

Enriching Lives Through Music
The new performance center will allow the Rockport Chamber Music Festival to expand its summer season to six weeks, repeat popular concerts, introduce fall and spring mini-festivals, host larger musical ensembles, and deepen audiences' appreciation and accessibility through lectures, free concerts, open rehearsals, and an artist-in-residence program.

An Elegant Building Where All Are Welcome
The Design for the Center Includes:

• An intimate concert hall, with a balcony and comfortable seating for approximately 325 people
• A spectacular two-story window at the rear of the stage, giving audiences a full view of the Atlantic Ocean
• Oceanfront reception space for social, civic, and corporate gatherings
• Catering kitchen
• Full air-conditioning and heating system
• ADA handicap accessibility, with an elevator

The Design Team
Alan Joslin, of Epstein Joslin Architects of Cambridge is Principal-in-Charge of the performance center building. R. Lawrence Kirkegaard of Chicago, an internationally known acoustician for concert hall and performance spaces, is overseeing the acoustic design.

A Community Resource
An essential part of our vision for the Shalin Liu Performance Center is its role as a lively, year round community resource and an unusually inviting arts destination, attributes that combine to create an invigorating force for the cultural and business life north of Boston. As a unique regional venue, the center will offer opportunities to local arts, business, social, and civic groups. Community partnerships and events we envision are:

• Performance, rehearsal, and educational programs for local public schools
• Public meetings and lectures
• Small-scale choral, theatrical, and dance performances
• Rehearsals and recitals by community music groups
• Children’s theater productions
• Social and business events

In October, 2008, this vision took a major step toward realization, as site preparation began for construction of the Shalin Liu Performance Center on Main Street in Rockport, MA. With the help of those who care deeply about community and the arts, the doors to this magical place will open to the public in 2010.

Rockport Music, presenter of the Rockport Chamber Music Festival, is engaged in a $20 million capital campaign to build the new performance center and ensure its successful future operation; over $14 million of our goal has already been raised. We invite you to become a part of our vision and to support this important opportunity to enrich the cultural life of the North Shore community and our region.

Please contact Betsy Giannoccaro, our Campaign Manager at campaign@rockportmusic.org for information on how you can help.