Jan. 8, 2019
Northern Arizona University will celebrate the opening of the new Kitt Recital Hall with a special ceremony and Gala Opening Weekend with three diverse recitals during the weekend of Jan. 18-20.
Before the recitals, there will be a curtain opening ceremony at 5:20 p.m. on Jan. 18. The curtains will be opened byPresident Rita Cheng,College of Arts and Letters Dean Valerio Ferme, donors Mike and Karen Kitt, Todd Sullivan, the director of the School of Music, construction representatives, the project manager and an architect representative.
After the ceremony, pianist Jeffrey Swan, the NAU president’s distinguished artist in residence, will perform in the new venue at 6 p.m. He will perform “L’invitation au voyage,” a multimedia recital inspired by a poem by Charles Baudelaire and illustrated with artwork of the period.
The NAU Faculty Chamber Players will perform at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19. They will perform two new pieces and other musical pieces that range from solo voice to contemporary groupings to a serenade-size ensemble.
The last performance of the weekend will be at 3 p.m. Jan. 20 by NAU showcase students. This concert is a variety of solo, choir, a cappella and small group performances.
Gala Opening Weekend recital tickets for each show are $22.50 for adults, $15 for seniors and NAU employees and free for children and NAU students. Tickets can be purchased at the Central Ticket Office located in the University Union or by visiting the NAU Central Ticket Office website.
After the opening, the Kitt Recital Hall, a modern, 250-seat hall, will allow NAU’s School of Music students to share cultural and educational performances with the Flagstaff community on a more intimate level.
“The largest user group of this space will be students,” Sullivan said. “Students are developing musicians and the Kitt Recital Hall is very conducive to learning and healthy music production.”
Who are the Kitts?
Michael and Karen Kitt are native New Yorkers who moved to Flagstaff in 2012 after years of visiting. Both first-generation college grads, they wanted NAU students to have a state-of-the-art recital hall that is equal in quality to the other facilities on campus. They are active supporters of the arts and sciences through philanthropy, board service and volunteering, including with the School of music and the CAL Advisory Council.
Other areas in the new hall have been named after generous donors, including:
- Sutherland Choral Music Rehearsal Room
- Clara M. Lovett North Vestibule
- Carlos Nakai and Pamela Hyde-Nakai Plaza
- Grobsmith Family Choral Music Library
- Rita and Tom Cheng Green Room
- Don and Marena Hales Hall of Choral Excellence
Naming opportunities are still available for public-facing spaces, student and faculty studios, rehearsals and instrumental storage rooms in the recital hall. For more information contact Maraka Oltrogge, the College of Arts and Letters development officer, at (928) 523-5231 or Maraka.Oltrogge @nau.edu.