Music Facilities

The Music Conservatory facilities include the Performing Arts Library, soundproof air conditioned practice studios, the 195-seat Rudolph Ganz Memorial Hall, concert facilities, the orchestra rehearsal room, Electro-Acoustic music facilities, a technology lab equipped with computers and keyboards, a Piano Lab with state-of-the-art digital pianos, and well-equipped studios and classrooms.

Electro-Acoustic Studios

The Electro-Acoustic Studios of Chicago College of Performing Arts consist of two distinctive, separate studio spaces. Both were renovated and reconstructed during the Fall of 2006.

Electro-Acoustic Studio 1556, which has one user station, is designed for those already having substantial experience in recording technique, digital editing, audio hardware and music software in the creation of sonic art works. This studio is mainly for the production of Electro-Acoustic Composition, Video Works, Visual Art, and Multi-Media works. Available hardware includes the following: Digidesign 002 Interface/Mixer, Disidesign MBox, Mackie 32-Ch 4-Bus Mixer, 1202 mixer, Roland SP808EX, Tascam DA-P1, Marantz Recorder, Yamaha VL70m, Roland RS-S 64 voice, Sony CD player, DVD player, Samson Mixer, Yamaha WX5 and CASIO MDI DH-100. Available software includes Max/MSP/Jitter, ProTools, Reason, SPEAR, and others. There are various video mixing software. Classes offered in conjunction with the studios are Electroacoustic Music II (MTA 326/426) and private lessons for individual users.

Electro-Acoustic Studio 1561 is equipped with four iMac computer stations that are connected to recording Equipment, each an Mbox and a MIDI interface. This studio is designed for beginning to intermediate level users who wish to explore recording technique and electronic music software. This studio includes the following equipment: Ensonic EPS, Korg KARMA, Edirol MIDI Keyboard, DBX Compressors, DBX DriveRack, Aphex661 Vocal Compressor, Lexicon MPX1, Korg Wavestation, Yamaha TX81Z, Mackie 1604 (VLZ), Tascam CD-D4000, Marantz PMD 320, Tascam DA20, Tascam 130, Denon DN D9000 and Denon X8000. The following software is available: Max/MSP/Jitter, ProTools, Reason, SPEAR, and other recording and digital sound processing software. The classes that are offered in conjunction with this studio are Electronic Music I (MTA 325/425) and private or group lessons.

If you have questions about the Electro-Acoustic Studios, please contact Dr. Choi at 312-322-7137.

Performance Venues (On-Campus)

Ganz Hall is located in the Auditorium Building at 430 S Michigan Avenue. This space is used primarily for CCPA recitals and chamber music concerts. Originally a dining hall, it seats 195 and bears all the classic characteristics of its designers, famed architects Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler. Original woodwork and stained glass add to the beauty of this space.

Marks Hall is located on the 9th floor and is accessible by the Michigan Lobby elevators.

The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University is the crowning achievement of famed architects Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan.  It opened in 1889 and was immediately acclaimed as one of the most beautiful and functional theatre in the world.  Its architectural integrity and perfect acousitcs are internationally recognized.  Frank Lloyd Wright, who worded as a draftsman on the project, called the Auditorium, "The greatest room for music and opera in the world - bar none."  It is the resident home of The Joffrey Ballet, and hosts a variety of events, from Broadway to rock concerts. Recent performances include The Bolshoi Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Smashing Pumpkins, Wilco, REM, Bob Dylan, The Producers, Mamma Mia and Movin' Out. Each spring, CCPA students perform in the annual VIVID! concert showcasing students in the Music and Theatre conservatories. Information on the Auditorium's fascinating history and programming is available at www.auditoriumtheatre.org.

Performance Venues (Off-Campus)

The Harris Theatre for Music and Dance  is a state-of-the-art, 1,400-seat, downtown performance facility in Chicago's Millennium Park. The Harris serves as a national model of collaboration between the philanthropic community and performing arts organizations. CCPA's Symphony Orchestra will return to the theater for its fourth season, along with music and dance organizations such as Music of the Baroque, Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Chicago Opera Theater. www.harristheaterchicago.org

The Athenaeum Theatre opened in 1911 and was constructed by St. Alphonsus Church as a recreational center serving the mostly German community.  The building featured a 1000-seat theatre for German Operetta, a gymnasium, bowling alleys, music and meeting rooms.  Over the years, meeting rooms gave way to classrooms and the theatre became a temporary church in the early 1950's after a devastating fire damaged the church. Today, under the direction of SCT Productions, The Athenaeum is once again fulfilling its original purpose.  Offices and studio theatres now occupy former meeting room space.  www.athenaeumtheatre.com

Located on downtown Chicago's Michigan Avenue, Orchestra Hall was designed by Daniel Burnham and completed in 1904, the first permanent hall owned by any major American orchestra. It has become a symbol of Chicago's cultural life as home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and has hosted countless recitals, lectures and appearances by notable personalities including Dame Myra Hess, Leontyne Price, Vladimir Horowitz, Igor Stravinsky, Maurice Ravel and Aaron Copland. In 1997 Orchestra Hall underwent an ambitious renovation and expansion, resulting in the creation of Symphony Center, a music complex featuring new rehearsal and performance spaces and a beautifully restored Orchestra Hall. www.cso.org

Senn Hall, the Senn Campus auditorium, blends state-of-the-art technology with the beauty and detail of the building's neo-classical design.  One of the finest performance venues on Chicago' s North Side, Senn Hall was completely renovated in 2010.  The 1,000 seat facility now features advanced sound and lighting systems, a dance stage and an orchestra pit.  Seating has been reconfigured and the floor was raised to allow for better sight lines and full accessibility. Today, Senn Hall is a resource for the school, the neighborhood and the entire performing arts community. www.sennhs.org

The Jazz Showcase is a piece of Chicago jazz history. Opened in 1947 by Chicago native Joe Segal, the Jazz Showcase has hosted everyone from local jazz musicians to jazz magnets, such as Duke Ellington, Dizzie Gillespie, Herbie Hancock and Count Basie.  For years the venue presented performances in its Gold Coast location. Today visitors enjoy jazz greats in the new South Loop location at the Dearborn Station building. The new space seats around 175 and has a few couches for those who want to lounge. www.jazzshowcase.com

Performing Arts Library

The Performing Arts Library contains one of the best equipped music collections in the greater Chicago metropolitan area. It has an impressive collection of more than 75,000 music scores and books, and more than 25,000 recordings. Housed in its own separate quarters on the 10th floor of the Auditorium Building, the Library is fully equipped with listening and viewing facilities for tapes, records, compact discs and videotapes. In addition, the Library's computer terminals provide instant access to many of the most important music and/or research databases, as well as linking with over eighty Illinois libraries and over one thousand research collections throughout North America. The Library is staffed with friendly and knowledgeable staff who are prepared to help you in any way they can -- whether it's finding scores for you to perform, or guiding you through the often daunting thickets of your research projects.

CCPA Computer Laboratory

The Performing Arts Computer Lab, located in Room 1551, is designed to support the students of the Chicago College of Performing Arts with conventional and specialized software run by state-of-the-art hardware. Each of the 15 stations is equipped with Microsoft Office, the latest versions of the Sibelius and Finale music notation programs, ear-training software, and other specialized software for music education. Users can print on letter, legal, and 11 x 17 paper, and all stations have high-speed internet connections. Space is reserved for users with their own laptops and tablets with access to wireless internet and printing.