Orchestra of St. Luke's Opens The DiMenna Center for Classical Music

Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) today celebrates the opening of its first permanent home, The DiMenna Center for Classical Music. The $37 million facility, designed by renowned architecture firm H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture and acousticians Akustiks, is the new creative and administrative home for OSL and a vital new resource for classical music rehearsal, recording and education in New York City.

Located on the west side of midtown Manhattan in a building that is also home to the Baryshnikov Arts Center, the 20,000+ square foot DiMenna Center will form an anchor for New York City's west side artistic community and provide a crucial resource for local and touring musicians who, until now, have lacked adequate, affordable rehearsal and recording space in New York City. Offering state-of-the-art design, acoustics and technical capabilities, The DiMenna Center's versatile spaces can accommodate activities ranging from individual and small-group practice to full-orchestra recordings and broadcasts that can reach a global audience.

The March 8 opening festivities begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony officiated by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. The ceremony will include a special performance by OSL with mezzo-soprano Susan Graham and the world premiere of involuntary, a fanfare commissioned by OSL from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang.

The celebration will then continue throughout the day with an open house that features a diverse group of ensembles live in rehearsal at The DiMenna Center-including Musica Sacra and the New York Youth Symphony. After the open house, St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble will present its first free community concert in The DiMenna Center's Mary Flagler Cary Hall at 6pm. The one-hour concert program will include Mozart's Clarinet Quintet and Divertimento in D Major. First-come, first-served seats will be open at The DiMenna Center 30 minutes before the performance. The free concert inaugurates OSL@DMC, a series of community programming that OSL will host in its new home. The next OSL@DMC program takes place April 8, 2011 with Iván Fischer conducting Prokofiev's "Classical" Symphony and Beethoven's Fourth Symphony. The April 8 program will be broadcast on American Public Media's Performance Today.

"For more than 36 years, Orchestra of St. Luke's has enriched New York City's musical offerings, and it's great news that now, for the first time, it has a place to call home," said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. "Not only will The DiMenna Center provide a beautiful venue for the world-class performers and dedicated educators of Orchestra of St. Luke's, but also it will be a place for students and all New York City classical music enthusiasts to enjoy."

"It is wonderful to see our long-held dream finally become a reality in The DiMenna Center, for ourselves and for all the musicians who work in our city," said OSL President and Executive Director Katy Clark. "Our outstanding musicians truly deserve a space that measures up to their excellence. We are profoundly grateful to Joe and Diana DiMenna, the City of New York, Victor Elmaleh, the Mary Cary Flagler Trust and so many others for making this project possible, and we are particularly thankful to Orchestra of St. Luke's Co-Founder and President Emeritus Marianne Lockwood for having the vision and determination to achieve this project."

"I would like to add my gratitude to everyone who understood the need, saw the potential and supported the dream of The DiMenna Center," said Orchestra of St. Luke's Co-Founder and President Emeritus Marianne Lockwood.

The DiMenna Center is named for Joe and Diana DiMenna in honor of their leadership and dedication to OSL. "We are delighted to help build the first permanent home for Orchestra of St. Luke's, and to make it a premier location for classical music. The DiMenna Center will provide a much-needed base to classical music groups from around the world, create greater opportunities for educational programming and community access, and will help maintain classical music as a thriving New York cultural offering for future generations," said Joe DiMenna, an OSL trustee.

The DiMenna Center will play a central role in developing New York City's Hell's Kitchen/Clinton neighborhood-enabling OSL to present additional music outreach and education initiatives to the local community. OSL will utilize The DiMenna Center to expand and enhance the programs it offers to New York City public school children and community organizations.

"Cutting the ribbon on The DiMenna Center for Classical Music fulfills the goal of so many artists and organizations to create affordable, high-quality rehearsal space for New York's extraordinary community of classical musicians," said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin. "Thanks to the leadership and commitment of Orchestra of St. Luke's, this robust public-private partnership will ensure that New York remains an international hub for the cultivation and performance of classical music."

"The DiMenna Center represents the union of significant public and private support, an outstanding project team and a forward-thinking Board of Directors, who, together, have realized this very important project. I am honored to lead Orchestra of St. Luke's at this galvanizing moment in its history. The DiMenna Center is a triumph for the future of classical music," said OSL Board Chairman Norman S. Benzaquen.

Architecture & Acoustics

Spaces
Addressing the varied needs of musicians and providing a place where they can connect, listen, practice and refine their craft, The DiMenna Center will boast a large orchestra rehearsal hall, a chamber orchestra rehearsal hall, a chamber ensemble room, a green room, two artist studios, a learning and media center, a musicians' lounge and café, a music library, resource center and instrument storage facilities. The DiMenna Center's centerpiece is the Mary Flagler Cary Hall-a large hall that can accommodate rehearsals and recording sessions for a full symphony orchestra plus chorus.

"The design of The DiMenna Center for Classical Music reflects the facility's stature in New York City's cultural landscape," said Hugh Hardy, FAIA, Founding Partner of H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture.

Acoustics
The DiMenna Center will achieve optimum acoustics in challenging surroundings. Located in midtown Manhattan, the building sits near the Lincoln Tunnel and below the dance studios of Baryshnikov Arts Center. Spaces are designed to eliminate outside noise within the multi-story building. The main rehearsal rooms feature a "box-in-a-box" construction, with each room floating on pads and springs inside an acoustic isolation box made of concrete and concrete block.

One of the world's leading acoustical firms, Akustiks, designed The DiMenna Center to replicate a concert hall by incorporating articulated surfaces, wood floors and other materials that create a warm, welcoming environment that blends and sustains sound.

"Orchestra of St. Luke's made acoustics a priority from the very beginning of this project. Its commitment to creating a world-class facility will benefit its own musicians and the many musicians who will use these rehearsal and recording facilities for years to come," said Akustiks Principal Russ Todd.

A/V & Recording Capabilities
The DiMenna Center will provide state-of-the-art recording connectivity. Each room is outfitted with multiple analog and digital connections to allow multi-track recording from the control room. These connections are compatible with current technology and anticipate future technological advancements. All rooms provide transformer-isolated A/C power and wireless Internet. Background noise coefficients are consistent with professional recording standards.

"Green" Design
The DiMenna Center is tracking LEED-CI Gold certification, making it one of the most energy- and resource-efficient arts facilities in the country. The project team carefully considered all design elements from a sustainability point of view-from the selection of high-performance, environmentally friendly materials to the allocation and distribution of existing seats and the design of appropriate, quiet and efficient building systems.

Lighting
The Mary Flagler Cary Hall and Norman S. Benzaquen Hall feature both off-hours lighting and efficient, concert hall-quality lighting achieved through a zoned, flexible blend of quartz halogen and metal halllide. In spaces not used for rehearsals, a fully metal hallide system allows for minimal energy usage. A skylight brings natural light into the Mary Flagler Cary Hall when desired. Lobbies contain warm tungsten halogen fixtures with daylight sensors to allow in natural light.

Fundraising

OSL's $50 million "Fund for the Future" capital and endowment campaign supports the purchase, renovation and operations of The DiMenna Center, as well as special endowment funds for OSL's artistic initiatives, arts education programs and general operating expenses.

Currently, OSL has achieved more than $34 million of the $50 million Fund for the Future goal, with more than $27.5 million toward the $37 million needed for The DiMenna Center, including $8.5 million from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York City Council and Manhattan Borough President's Office. Major leadership gifts have come from Joe and Diana DiMenna, the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, Victor Elmaleh, Virginia James, Norman S. Benzaquen and the family of Charles Grossman. The Fund for the Future campaign, which began in 2008, is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2013.

About Orchestra of St. Luke's

Now in its 36th year, Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) is one of America's foremost and most versatile ensembles. Dedicated to engaging audiences throughout New York City and beyond, OSL performs approximately 75 orchestral, chamber and educational concerts each year-including an annual chamber music series at The Morgan Library & Museum, Brooklyn Museum and Dia:Beacon and an orchestra series at Carnegie Hall. OSL is also Orchestra-in-Residence at Caramoor International Music Festival. OSL collaborates regularly with the world's great artists, such as Renée Fleming, Yo-Yo Ma, Jessye Norman, Anna Netrebko, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Mark Morris Dance Group, Peter Gabriel, Sting, Elton John and many more. Committed to community-building, OSL produces free concerts in each of the five boroughs and has engaged more than one million children through its arts education programs. OSL's stellar 70+ discography includes four acclaimed releases on its own label, St. Luke's Collection, and four Grammy Award-winning recordings. For OSL's calendar of events, tickets and more information, visit OSLmusic.org.

About H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture

Founded in 2004, H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture is a collaborative community of design professionals guided by celebrated architect Hugh Hardy, FAIA and five partners. With a legacy of 40 years of experience planning and designing cultural institutions in New York City, H3 is dedicated to the creation of memorable and engaging public places that contribute to vibrant cultural life. In addition to The DiMenna Center for Classical Music, H3's current work includes Lincoln Center Theater's LCT3, Theater for a New Audience's new home in Brooklyn and Brooklyn Academy Of Music's new Richard B. Fisher Building. For more information, visit www.h3hc.com.