Roy Barnett Recital Hall Unites Vancouver Campus in Music
“As a pianist, the hall is primarily a place for performance. For us there is always something special about being in the space,” says Christopher Bagan, a UBC music student in his final year in the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) program. “Recently I performed in a Wednesday noon-hour concert in recital on harpsichord with a baroque flute player. The intimate sound of each of these instruments was greatly helped by the new space. We were able to hear one another, and know that our sound was projecting out into the hall with a rich and warm, but still clear, reverberant sound.”
The renovation of the Roy Barnett Recital Hall was made possible by UBC alum Roy Barnett, whose lifelong interest in music inspired him. Renamed the Roy Barnett Recital Hall, it reopened in September 2010. The 255-seat concert hall and rehearsal space is used for student recitals, ensemble programs, and performances by faculty, alumni and guests.
Charissa Bagan, a third year student in the Master of Music in Choral Conducting program, spends an average of 10 hours each week in the Hall. “I really appreciate the larger stage. It allows the right amount of space for choral ensembles to sing with freedom, and for chamber music groups and percussion ensembles to set up their equipment and instruments easily. There are also more options for placing the grand piano, which can greatly affect the sound that comes out to the audience. I also love the new audience seating – the seats look fantastic and they are very comfortable! It’s now a venue that I am proud to invite friends to for concerts.”
Christopher is preparing for his final DMA graduating recital. “I will be performing 90 minutes of solo piano music from memory on a Steinway concert grand. The space is comforting yet engaging, intimate yet spacious, and I greatly look forward to this performance.”
Charissa can’t imagine her studies at UBC without the Roy Barnett Recital Hall. “Twice each week as a Teaching Assistant for the Choral Union, I see the transformation of the audience seating into a massed choir. I’ve conducted many rehearsals standing up on the stage, looking out at a sea of enthusiastic singers who are not only Music students, but also students in Engineering, English and International Relations, to name just a few. This hall truly unites our entire campus in song.”
