Press release from Brevard Music Center:
At a recent groundbreaking ceremony, Brevard Music Center proudly revealed the early stages of a breathtaking new lakeside structure—its first major construction project in more than 50 years. Overlooking scenic Lake Milner and designed by Platt Architecture PA, the $6 million Parker Concert Hall will become BMC’s first ever year-round performance venue and the first multi-purpose event space built since 1964’s Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium.
Opening in June 2020, the hall will serve as the summer home of BMC’s growing piano, chamber, classical guitar, and jazz programming. Featuring excellent acoustics and a seating capacity of 400, the hall’s innovative, retractable modular system from Belgium will allow for ultimate flexibility in floor plan design as well as transform the hall into an accommodating multi-purpose space for performances, community gatherings, weddings, business retreats, and a wide variety of special events and celebrations. BMC will begin accepting hall reservations for the fall of 2020, which will include catering and banquet options for up to 250 individuals.
“The joy of seeing aspiring musicians, in the company of other like-minded youth, became an inspiration to us,” said Drs. Tom and Joanne Parker, lead sponsors of the Parker Concert Hall. The concept of a building that would meet student needs represented a melding of the Parkers’ strong belief in active philanthropy (a bi-directional process of mutually shared ideas and common interests) with the overall strategy and mission of BMC. “The Brevard Music Center—with its mission, vision, and values—seemed the perfect place to express those interests. The national standing of BMC within summer musical festivals for youth is quite remarkable. This new hall anchors BMC’s position, even enhancing it, and provides an even greater attraction for national and international students to attend.”
The new Parker Concert Hall will serve as a dramatic, natural setting for year-round performances and events that not only enrich the lives of our residents but also drive dollars to local businesses in our community. “With this inspiring addition to its 181-acre campus, Brevard Music Center reinforces its presence as a vital and integral part of our community’s cultural fabric and its international reputation as a sought-after designation for artistic excellence in education and programming,” said Brevard Mayor Jimmy Harris at the April 2019 groundbreaking ceremony. “Brevard Music Center’s new concert hall will be a tremendous asset to Transylvania County as both a performance space and community-builder,” added County Commission Mike Hawkins. “I applaud the Music Center for its vision and for its ongoing dedication to providing yet another welcoming space to local non-profits and organizations who share a mutual commitment to making Brevard a better place to live and work.”
To learn how to support this effort, please contact Dave Perrett in the Brevard Music Center development office at 828-862-2121 or dperrett@brevardmusic.org.
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