Rising from the west end of campus and visible from Interstate 35, the Murchison Performing Arts Center houses two world-class performance venues: the Margot and Bill Winspear Performance Hall and the Lyric Theater. The showplace is also home to a large instrumental rehearsal hall, a box office, offices and support spaces. Opened in February 1999 and designed by Malcolm Holzman-of the award-winning firm Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates-the Murchison Performing Arts Center earned immediate critical and public acclaim, joining the ranks of the finest performing arts complexes in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The Murchison is accessible to patrons with mobility impairments. Hearing assist devices and other accommodations also are available to patrons by advance request.

    Winspear Performance Hall

The 19,200-square-foot Winspear Performance Hall is home to UNT College of Music's foremost ensembles, including the One O'Clock Lab Band, the Wind Symphony, Jazz Singers and Symphony Orchestra, among others. The hall accommodates a maximum of 1,108 patrons. The seating includes fixed seats on the orchestra floor and the center section of the balcony. Two sets of boxes on the east and west sides of the hall and the choral terrace contains movable seating.

With its intimate size, Winspear Hall has exceptional acoustics. Designed by Christopher Jaffe of the internationally-known Jaffe Holden Scarbrough Acoustics, Inc., the acoustics are controlled by visually striking pentagonal clouds and adjustable curtains.

The planned Wolff pipe organ is destined to be the focal point of the hall, rising in front of the stunning pentagonal glass block wall that extends from the orchestra level to the roof line.

    Lyric Theater

The flexible design of the 6,300-square-foot, 400-seat Lyric Theater allows for both traditional and creative configurations for opera and drama performances. The theater is home to UNT's Opera Theatre program as well as the site for many Department of Dance and Theatre Arts productions.

Among the venue's main features are:

• flexible seating and stage configurations that allow for traditional proscenium seating, as well as thrust and in-the-round arrangements;
• a variety of entrance locations, including corridors and doors on the north and south walls, balconies on the 10- and 20-foot levels, trap doors and catwalks;
• an orchestra pit that accommodates a 60-piece ensemble.

College of Music Building

    Recital Hall

The Recital Hall is a 200 seat performance space that was designed and created as a part of the 1979 renovation of the Main Music Building. The hall also serves as a large-lecture classroom during the daytime hours. The hall, affectionately known as "the purple room" is ideal for small ensemble performance and has a CD/cassette/phonograph sound system that is ideal for lecture recitals and small ensemble performance.

    Concert Hall

Our large Concert Hall seats 635 persons and is wheelchair accessible. Over 30 years of band, orchestra and opera performances have been held in the Concert Hall, and it is the preferred recital space for vocalists. The Concert Hall is also the home of one of the College performance organs.

    Merrill Ellis Intermedia Theatre (MEIT)

The Merrill Ellis Intermedia Theater (MEIT) is CEMI's primary performance venue. Featuring a multi-channel diffusion system (from 8 to 18.1 channels), the theater is also equipped with 180 degrees of projection screens and a DMX/MIDI controllable lighting system.

Performances in the MEIT regularly feature video projection, dance, lighting and set design. Interactive technologies include a resident video-tracking system for real-time tracking of performer gestures (via three cameras), and various motion, pressure and acceleration sensors.

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    Organ Recital Hall

This space is home to a Rieger organ and is suitable for early music rehearsals and performances.

    Jazz Facilities

• Kenton Hall (MU 282) is a combination rehearsal and recital hall with terraced seating for 115 people. This room is used for classes and rehearsals and is the venue for all undergraduate and graduate jazz recitals. Directly adjacent to the hall is a loading ramp to facilitate bringing in equipment for classes and rehearsals. The hall is equipped with risers, drums, guitar and bass amps, sound equipment for classes, special lighting for performances and a nine foot Steinway concert grand.
• East Hall (MU 263) is a slightly smaller hall than Kenton Hall and is also used as one of the principal areas for many classes and rehearsals. It is equipped with risers, sound equipment for classes, drums, guitar and bass amps, and a Steinway grand piano. This hall is also available to be checked out for special musical projects carried on by students involving the rehearsal of groups formed for specific purposes.
• The Jazz Chamber Music room (MU 279) is the principle rehearsal area for all small jazz groups. It is equipped with drums, guitar and bass amps and a grand piano. This room may also be checked out for extra rehearsals as it is available.
• Alternate venues: Jazz groups (large and small) give informal concerts in several venues around campus. Some of these are lounges in the student union or campus dormitories. Both formal and informal concerts (during rehearsal times) are given in Kenton Hall. Every Tuesday night, North Texas Jazz groups perform at Rick's Place, a local campus area night club. At this venue, all nine lab bands, the Jazz Repertory Ensemble, and the Jazz Guitar Labs perform on a rotating basis. The Jazz Singers give their on-campus concerts in the Winspear Hall, a 635 seat room. The Zebras Jazz Keyboard Lab usually performs in Kenton Hall. Small groups generally perform in the lobby of Bruce Hall, the music students' dormitory which is located across the street from the music building.

Additional On-Campus Venues

Students of the College of Music may also have a chance to perform in the University Main Auditorium or the Union Lyceum. These two venues are all large performance spaces designed for special types of activities. The Main Auditorium is home to a Möller organ, recently restored and expanded and one of the preferred recital halls for organists. The Lyceum is a dramatic performance space used for mixed media and events open to the entire university community.