Benjamin Markham
President
After several years of searching and planning, the Brattleboro Music Center has moved to a new home.
Founded in 1952, the BMC is a nonprofit educational center that has become a keystone institution for Southern Vermont’s music community. The project entailed renovation and addition to a 1960s single-story existing structure into a modern music school. Inside the repurposed building, the school has larger, acoustically improved practice rooms and a 70-seat recital hall that will serve the school and small choral groups. The new addition – a larger volume – houses a 331-seat auditorium and support spaces.
Acentech advised Scott Simons Architects on the acoustical design of the facility, including room acoustics, sound isolation, and mechanical noise control. The auditorium and recital hall both feature curved wood planks designed to provide strong, clean sound reflections in the lower volume of the halls, and to diffuse sound reflections in the upper volume of the rooms. Both spaces are shoebox shaped, and are designed with chamber music especially in mind; they also serve a variety of other choral and instrumental ensembles and recitalists.
The renovation and addition gives the Brattleboro Music Center an excellent teaching center, with rehearsal and performance facilities for a number of BMC’s affiliated programs—a resource for this rich artistic community.
“Starting rehearsing in the BMC auditorium has made a quantum shift in our self-image as an orchestra. It is a much better facility than we are used to, with great acoustics and beautiful decor. Having our rehearsals there compels an upgrade in what we do. It invites a new level of attention to our work, a musical integrity to provide something beyond the ordinary.”
Hugh Keelan, Windham Orchestra Artistic Director, Brattleboro Music Center
