Cornell University's Department of Music will celebrate the opening of its refurbished and expanded Lincoln Hall, Oct. 26-28. Events during the official opening include a formal dedication Friday, Oct. 27, three days of music and a composers' symposium and an open house Saturday, Oct. 28.

Lincoln Hall, which was built in 1888 on the northeast corner of the university's Arts Quad, now has a new 18,640-square-foot wing on its east façade to house the music library's voluminous collections as well as state-of-the-art practice studios and classrooms. The $19 million renovation of Lincoln Hall was funded entirely through alumni gifts, as evidenced by the proliferation of named spaces throughout the renovated structure.

"The renovated Lincoln Hall at last provides a proper home for Cornell's outstanding music faculty and staff," said Rawlings. "This beautiful building appropriately located in the heart of campus emphasizes the centrality of the arts and the humanities to the Cornell experience."

"The university's faculty, staff and students owe an immense debt of gratitude to Ellen Adelson, Robert Appel and Austin Kiplinger for leading the effort to provide us with a state-of-the-art facility," said Lewis. The three Cornell trustees were co-chairs of the fund-raising campaign for the building's renovation and are expected to be present at the dedication.

Scatterday said that, every year, about 2,000 students from across campus study in the music department or participate in its many ensembles. The department offers more than 100 free concerts to the campus and local communities throughout the year and is home to 24 faculty members, most of whom are world-renowned in their respective fields.

The Lincoln Hall addition, which took eight years to develop, was designed by the architectural firm of Schepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbot of Boston. In addition to a new main entrance-atrium, the renovation includes: 44,000 square feet of usable space (an increase of 13,000 square feet); a 70 percent increase in space for the Sidney Cox Library of Music and Dance; temperature and humidity control to protect musical instruments and preserve library collections; the Neylan Rehearsal Hall, a two-story 2,850-square-foot rehearsal room; space to store instruments and music; a two-story gamelan world-music room; 29 new rooms for student practice; 13 new acoustically engineered teaching studios for private instruction in voice, instruments and composition; and acoustical construction systems providing sound isolation and sound quality.

The Thursday concert and Saturday open house are free and open to the public. The schedule is as follows:

Thursday, Oct. 26

8 p.m. Ensemble X Concert, Barnes Hal l

Steven Stucky, Scott Tucker, conductors. "Cornell Composers Come Home" features music by Cornell graduates Steve Reich, Paul Chihara, Christopher Rouse, Anna Weesner and John Fitz Rogers and work by Italian composer Luciano Berio. Pre-concert discussion 7:15-7:45 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 27

4-5 p.m. Dedication Celebration , Lincoln Hall

By invitation.

Saturday, Oct. 28

9-10 a.m. Composers' Symposium, Rehearsal Room, B-21

Cornell composers from several generations discuss the radical changes in musical styles and techniques in the past 50 years.

Session I : Steven Stucky, Robert Palmer, Paul Chihara, Andrew Waggoner and John Fitz Rogers.

10:15-11:15 a.m. Session II: Karel Husa, Roberto Sierra, Anna Weesner and Christopher Rouse.

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Department of Music Open House

A variety of performances throughout Lincoln Hall, showcasing the musical talent of the department, among them the Wind Ensemble presenting Aaron Copland's A Lincoln Portrait, with guest narrator Austin Kiplinger; performances by the Glee Club, the Symphony Orchestra and the Gamelan Ensemble; teaching demonstrations, rehearsals and building tours.