Facilities
Location is everything
Our facilities are located in the heart of the UW–Madison campus near Library Mall, the Memorial Union, Bascom Hill, State Street, and Lake Mendota. The Humanities Building houses faculty studios, academic classrooms, and practice rooms. The Hamel Music Center is a state-of-the-art performance and rehearsal venue.
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Hamel Music Center
Opened in 2019, the Hamel Music Center features cutting-edge acoustic technology designed to prepare students to perform at the highest of professional standards.
Serving as our premier learning lab, it provides top-tier performance and rehearsal spaces, automated acoustic tuning, and built-in audio/visual recording and live streaming infrastructure. Our halls are engineered to give student musicians an environment matching elite professional venues.
Visit our events calendar to find an event at the Hamel Music Center.
Mead Witter Foundation Concert Hall
The Mead Witter Foundation Concert Hall seats 413 (plus eight wheelchair access) on the main floor; 153 (plus two wheelchair access) in the balcony; and seats 85 on bench seats in a choir loft, to total 661. A series of coffers—circular, recessed or projecting panels—along the walls also absorb and reflect sound back into the concert hall. Two 50,000 cubic-feet floating concrete reverberation chambers on the second floor, covered in fabric, are installed 30 feet high on each side of the concert hall stage. The chambers absorb sound and reflect it back out into the audience. Motorized curtains can be drawn around the walls to adjust the level of “live” sound in the hall.
Collins Recital Hall
Collins Recital Hall seats 189 on the main floor (plus three wheelchair access) and 104 in the balcony, with an additional three for wheelchair access, to total 299. Warm wooden elements include wooden planking sourced from tribal lands of the Menominee Indians in Wisconsin; wooden “petals” on the lighting “tiaras” suspended from the ceiling; and framed glulam beams (laminated timber of exceptional strength) that support the cement-filled ceiling. The hall’s colorful and dynamic wallpaper was designed by Tandem Press founder and printmaker William Weege, professor emeritus of UW–Madison’s Department of Art.
Lee/Annette Kaufman Rehearsal Hall
The Sing Man & Florence Lee/Annette Kaufman Rehearsal Hall provides space for large ensembles, and also may host pre-and post-concert educational talks, events, and receptions. Motorized curtains can be drawn around the walls to adjust the level of “live” sound in the hall. The irregular shape of the room in addition to fabric-wrapped panels prevents the presence of standing sound waves.
Dressing rooms
Two large naturally-lit dressing rooms at the Hamel Music Center offer performers a comfortable warm up and gathering space. Conductors and soloist have access to three smaller dressing rooms.
FAQ
Yes, the Hamel Music Center is fully ADA-compliant. Both performance halls include accessible seating from a variety of viewing locations. An elevator is available to access the second floor. Accessible restrooms are located on both floors of the building.
Patrons also have access to a variety of assistive listening devices.
Front of house staff are available to assist all patrons at Hamel Music Center events. If you have questions about accessibility, please contact musicoperations@music.wisc.edu.
There are fees associated with the use of School of Music practice rooms, lockers, and recitals. These fees help to offset the cost of staffing events. More information on fees is available on the School of Music KB.
The Transportation Services site lists several parking options near the Hamel Music Center.
The Transportation Services site also offers a Help Center outlining other transportation options. The Hamel Music Center is located at 740 University Avenue.
The main lobby opens one hour before each scheduled performance.
Yes. The Hamel Music Center box office is located in the main lobby, and is staffed by Campus Arts Ticketing one hour before each scheduled ticketed performance. All School of Music ticketing is managed by Campus Arts Ticketing.
School of Music facilities may occasionally be available for rental to non-School of Music entities. These rentals are generally limited to times when classes are not in session (e.g. between the Fall and Spring semesters and/or during Spring and Summer recesses).
The Hamel Music Center is not available for weddings.
Contact the Music Operations Manager at musicoperations@music.wisc.edu with rental inquiries.
The School of Music maintains approximately 90 practice rooms in the lower level of the Humanities Building for the curricular use during the semester by music majors, School of Music faculty and staff, Community Music Lessons instructors, approved professional accompanists, and non-music majors who are enrolled in qualifying courses offered by the School and who have paid the appropriate fee. Please review the Practice room eligibility article for more information.
University Housing has information on which dorms offer music practice rooms. Additionally, there is a grand piano available for use by students on the fourth floor of the Memorial Union.