New Music Building opens through public and private support
$70-million project at McGill inaugurated on September 30, 2005
Research, creativity and innovation will be propelled to new heights, thanks to private and public support of McGill's New Music Building. The $70-million project opened today at Sherbrooke and Aylmer Streets, thanks to the vision of private and public partners.
The Government of Quebec was the first partner to embark on the project with McGill in 1995, when the Ministry of Education provided $1 million so McGill could commission drawings for the new space. To date, the Government of Quebec has given a total of $25.3 million towards the New Music Building in several phases through the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport and the infrastructure program of the Ministère du Développement économique, de l'Innovation et de l'Exportation.
"This New Music Building will offer McGill University students access to one of the best and most advanced learning environments," says Jean-Marc Fournier, Education Minister for the Government of Quebec. "Providing $25.3 million towards this project was a concrete way for the provincial government to enable the Schulich School of Music of McGill University to soar even further."
The Government of Canada, through the Canada Foundation for Innovation, has also been a strong supporter of McGill's New Music Building, contributing $2.6 million to support the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology (CIRMMT). "CIRMMT is a perfect example of the objectives of Canada's innovation agenda," said the Honourable Lucienne Robillard, MP for Westmount-Ville Marie, President of the Privy Council and Minister of Intergovernmental Relations. "It creates a platform here at McGill for world-leading medical scientists, engineers and musicians to explore and better understand the creation, transmission and perception of music and sound."
New address for excellence
The New Music Building will allow the Schulich School of Music of McGill University — built on 100 years of academic excellence and leadership — to investigate, record, perform and teach music in brand new ways. Don McLean, Dean of the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, says the New Music Building will help McGill advance its edge and heighten explorations between musical scientists and scientific musicians.
"Thanks to our New Music Building, the next generation of musicians will be as comfortable in a research and recording environment as on stage," he notes.
Over the last decade, the New Music Building grew from a $24-million addition to a $70-million cutting edge project. "We are immensely grateful to our public and private partners for supporting the very best of education, research and innovation and our uniquely vigorous contribution to Canadian culture announced today," says Heather Munroe-Blum, McGill Principal and Vice-Chancellor.
"This project was made possible thanks to the foresight of the Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada, through the Canada Foundation for Innovation, as well as private donors such as Seymour Schulich," she added. "His unprecedented generosity is reflected in the newly named Schulich School of Music of McGill University. Mr. Schulich has raised the bar on Canadian philanthropy with this contribution. We are immensely proud to count him as an alumnus of McGill."
Private giving, naming opportunity
A total of $10 million in private giving was raised for the New Music Building, including $5 million very early on from an anonymous donor. A further $8 million was provided as part of Seymour Schulich's $20-million gift towards McGill's music program. "We could not be more pleased or proud to finalize this particular gift," says Seymour Schulich. "Music is a universal language understood and appreciated by all people."
An extraordinary naming opportunity remains for the building itself, since $10 million is still required to complete two remaining floors of the structure and to outfit the technical infrastructure. "McGill still refers to this project as the New Music Building and, after September 30, we're confident another leader will rise to the challenge and take up this cause," says Janyne Hodder, Interim Vice-Principal of Development and Alumni Relations at McGill.
About the Schulich School of Music of McGill
The Schulich School of Music of McGill University is built on a program that recently celebrated its centennial. With over 800 students, it is the largest and the best school of its kind in Canada. The program is now moving to a position as one of the top 10 music schools in the world. McGill University is Canada's leading research-intensive university and has earned an international reputation for scholarly achievement and scientific discovery. Founded in 1821, McGill has 21 faculties and professional schools, which offer more than 300 programs from the undergraduate to the doctoral level. McGill attracts renowned professors and researchers from around the world and top students from more than 150 countries, creating one of the most dynamic and diverse education environments in North America. There are approximately 23,000 undergraduate students and 7,000 graduate students. It is one of two Canadian members of the distinguished American Association of Universities. McGill's two campuses are located in Montreal, Canada.
