Merkin Concert Hall
Encyclopedia
Merkin Concert Hall is a 449-seat concert hall in Manhattan
, New York City
. The hall, named in honor of Hermann
and Ursula Merkin
, is part of the Kaufman Center
, a complex that includes the Lucy Moses School
, a community arts school, and the Special Music School
(P.S. 859), a New York City public school for musically gifted children. Merkin Concert Hall hosts 70,000 concert
goers a year.
neighborhood, it is near the Lincoln Center campus but is not affiliated with it. Merkin Hall hosts over 200 concerts a year, many of them Kaufman Center presentations. It has several long running series, presenting established and emerging artists, as well as Broadway
and Family focused shows. Beginning in 1986, Kaufman Center has co-presented New Sounds Live with WNYC
, hosted by John Schaefer and broadcast live on the radio. In 2003, New York Festival of Song
began its series of co-presentations at Merkin Hall as well. WQXR-FM
's online webcast Q2 began live streaming of Kaufman Center's Ecstatic Music Festival in 2011.
Renovations included restoration of the building façade using contemporary materials and redesign of the main entrance; expanded space for music classes, special events, and theater workshops, including two new classrooms and a flexible balcony educational space; enhanced audio-visual capabilities in Merkin Concert Hall, including updated listening systems for hearing-impaired concert goers and students; structural and mechanical improvements, including the installation of a new HVAC
system; reupholstered seating and minor refinishing in Merkin Concert Hall; renovation and expansion of restrooms; expansion of lobby space to serve the two schools; and the redesign of Merkin Hall lobby. The renovation respects the building’s original form while enhancing its functionality and appearance.
The goals of the renovation were portrayed in theatrical terms: “At a performance venue, the show should begin on the sidewalk. We’re going to have a welcoming new canopy over the street entrance, with the Kaufman name on it big enough to be visible from both Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue. We will transform the arrival experience and brighten it up with vivid fire-red marble—everything from coat-checking to buying your refreshments to finding your seat will take place in a more glamorous setting, so that Merkin Hall and the Kaufman Center can become more indelibly stamped on the New York mind than ever before.”
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The hall, named in honor of Hermann
Hermann Merkin
Hermann Merkin was a Jewish-American businessman and philanthropist.-Biography:...
and Ursula Merkin
Ursula Merkin
Ursula Merkin was a German-born, American-Jewish philanthropist.-Biography:She was born in Frankfurt, Germany to Isaac Breuer, a noted German Rabbi, as Ursula Breuer...
, is part of the Kaufman Center
Kaufman Center
Kaufman Center is a notable performing arts complex in New York City that houses Lucy Moses School, the Special Music School, and Merkin Concert Hall. Originally known as the Hebrew Arts School, it was founded in 1952 and is currently located on West 67th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam...
, a complex that includes the Lucy Moses School
Lucy Moses School
Kaufman Center's Lucy Moses School is a community arts school located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Founded in 1952 as The Hebrew Arts School for Music and Dance, it is now part of Kaufman Center, a performing arts complex that houses the Special Music School and Merkin...
, a community arts school, and the Special Music School
Special Music School
The Special Music School , or SMS, is a unique New York public school for musically gifted children. The school is run as a public/private partnership between the New York City Department of Education and Kaufman Center, a not-for-profit, multi-arts organization...
(P.S. 859), a New York City public school for musically gifted children. Merkin Concert Hall hosts 70,000 concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
goers a year.
Overview
Merkin Concert Hall opened in Kaufman Center's (then The Hebrew Art School's) Abraham Goodman House in 1978, and soon after distinguished itself as an important New York City venue, featuring innovative classical and new music programming (it is the recipient of three awards in Adventurous Programming by ASCAP/Chamber Music America). Located in the Lincoln SquareLincoln Square
Lincoln Square may mean:*Lincoln Square, Chicago*Lincoln Square, New York*Lincoln Square , Washington*Lincoln Square, near Albert Square, Manchester, England*Lincoln Square , Australia...
neighborhood, it is near the Lincoln Center campus but is not affiliated with it. Merkin Hall hosts over 200 concerts a year, many of them Kaufman Center presentations. It has several long running series, presenting established and emerging artists, as well as Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and Family focused shows. Beginning in 1986, Kaufman Center has co-presented New Sounds Live with WNYC
WNYC
WNYC is a set of call letters shared by a pair of co-owned, non-profit, public radio stations located in New York City.WNYC broadcasts on the AM band at 820 kHz, and WNYC-FM is at 93.9 MHz. Both stations are members of National Public Radio and carry distinct, but similar news/talk programs...
, hosted by John Schaefer and broadcast live on the radio. In 2003, New York Festival of Song
New York Festival of Song
The New York Festival of Song presents an annual series of concerts in New York City dedicated to the art of song, classical, modern and popular...
began its series of co-presentations at Merkin Hall as well. WQXR-FM
WQXR-FM
WQXR-FM is an American classical radio station licensed to Newark, New Jersey, and serving the New York City metropolitan area. It is the most-listened-to classical-music station in the United States, with an average quarter-hour audience of 63,000...
's online webcast Q2 began live streaming of Kaufman Center's Ecstatic Music Festival in 2011.
Renovations
Kaufman Center launched a $17 million campaign to renovate the complex. The lead donors were Elaine and Henry Kaufman, who pledged $7 million towards the project. Elaine Kaufman has been a member of the Center’s board for more than twenty years, and served as its chairman from 1999 to 2005. She said, “The Center is a unique organization, placing equal emphasis on education and performance, an essential balance for developing the artists and audiences of the future.”Renovations included restoration of the building façade using contemporary materials and redesign of the main entrance; expanded space for music classes, special events, and theater workshops, including two new classrooms and a flexible balcony educational space; enhanced audio-visual capabilities in Merkin Concert Hall, including updated listening systems for hearing-impaired concert goers and students; structural and mechanical improvements, including the installation of a new HVAC
HVAC
HVAC refers to technology of indoor or automotive environmental comfort. HVAC system design is a major subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer...
system; reupholstered seating and minor refinishing in Merkin Concert Hall; renovation and expansion of restrooms; expansion of lobby space to serve the two schools; and the redesign of Merkin Hall lobby. The renovation respects the building’s original form while enhancing its functionality and appearance.
The goals of the renovation were portrayed in theatrical terms: “At a performance venue, the show should begin on the sidewalk. We’re going to have a welcoming new canopy over the street entrance, with the Kaufman name on it big enough to be visible from both Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue. We will transform the arrival experience and brighten it up with vivid fire-red marble—everything from coat-checking to buying your refreshments to finding your seat will take place in a more glamorous setting, so that Merkin Hall and the Kaufman Center can become more indelibly stamped on the New York mind than ever before.”