The Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU and its home, the TCU Music Center, have proven transformative for the School of Music, bringing students expansive rehearsal spaces, private practice rooms and a beautiful new venue. Construction crews spent more than 600 days building the TCU Music Center, which opened in fall 2020; the Van Cliburn Concert Hall hosted its first concerts in spring 2022 and will feature some 300 performances annually.

The concert hall’s design is all about the musical experience. Principal architect Michael Tingley said that a “ring of circulation space” separates the hall from rehearsal rooms; the space also has an acoustic isolation joint in the floor.

“These two design and construction details prevent any sound that may be occurring elsewhere in the building from sneaking into the concert hall,” Tingley said. Inside, the space envelops the audience in sound and style. “Oak creates a warm feeling to the room, like being inside a musical instrument.”

— Compiled by Heather Hughston and Laura Samuel Meyn