Lycoming College breaks ground on new music building

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa., Nov. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In October 2021, Lycoming College broke ground on the College's new music building, located on the southeast corner of Basin and Fourth streets in Williamsport's Old City neighborhood. The 14,000-square-foot facility will connect to the existing Mary Lindsay Welch Honors Hall, providing easy access to the popular music venue, Shangraw Performance Hall.

Lycoming College has a rich history of music, not just as an academic major or minor, but also as a beloved co-curricular activity for students studying a myriad of academic programs. Every year, more than 200 students engage in music-making on campus through their participation in choir, band, orchestra, chamber groups, small ensembles, private lessons, and recitals.

Construction of the new music building represents the first significant capital investment in the music program in more than 75 years. Slated to open in the fall of 2022, the facility will house a signature rehearsal and recital space, classrooms, soundproof practice rooms, and offices for music faculty. While Clarke Chapel will no longer house the music program, it will remain one of the campus's most iconic performance, worship, and community spaces.

The project has caught the imagination of alumni and friends of the College who have pledged more than $5.1 million in total gifts to the facility. Lycoming has also secured a $500,000 Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant to support the site work and construction of an outdoor performance space.

"As Board chair, I take pride in Lycoming's continued investments in academics and academic facilities that support learning. The construction of this building will also bolster enrollment by attracting both music majors and non-majors who participate in our various music groups," said D. Mark Fultz, chair of the Lycoming College Board of Trustees. "This new music building will communicate to prospective students and their families that Lycoming is committed to providing an unparalleled learning experience."

"The new music building complements Lycoming College's Krapf Gateway Center, which was completed in 2019, and it represents another important step in building out the southern entrance to the College," said Kent C. Trachte, president of Lycoming College. "This project is also another indicator that Lycoming College is committed to serving as a catalyst in the revitalization Old City Williamsport."

About Lycoming College

Founded in 1812, Lycoming College is one of the nation's oldest and most respected liberal arts colleges. Today, our community of 1,200 active learners from 29 states and territories and 14 countries comprises a student body that is 36 percent domestic students of color or international, all of whom work with our renowned scholars to craft customized combinations of market-driven majors, minors and concentrations across our 40+ academic programs. Students compete in 19 NCAA Division III sports, participate in faculty-driven research, thrive in a robust program of internship experiences, and study abroad in more than two dozen countries. Lycoming College has one of the highest endowment-per-student ratios in the country. The institution is a member of the Annapolis Group of Liberal Arts Colleges and is recognized by The Princeton Review as one of The 387 Best Colleges. Lycoming College is dedicated to providing a high-quality liberal arts and sciences education for all students. Learn more at http://www.lycoming.edu.

SOURCE Lycoming College

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