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Sharing Space, Sharing Artby Valerie Gladstone “By all of us having to work out our needs with one another for the new hall, we developed a deeper understanding of each of our missions,” says the pianist Wu Han, who co-directs the Chamber Music Society with her husband, cellist David Finckel. “There was a strong spirit of cooperation and excitement as plans began being made. It was illuminating to hear each other’s needs. We were already close colleagues, but we became even more so as we worked together toward the same goal.” The directors of each institution all share deep affection for the original hall. In fact, to hear the members of three of these organizations talk about Tully, you’d think they were describing an old friend rather than a performance facility. Since the Film Society and the Chamber Music Society were first established when it opened in 1969 and Juilliard has been its most frequent user, their feelings of affection are not surprising. Joseph Polisi, President of The Juilliard School, loved that Tully’s stage could accommodate both a full orchestra of 100 players and a string quartet, and that a host of series attracted large audiences there, including the popular free Wednesdays at One lunchtime concerts. But for all their nostalgia for the past, the directors greatly look forward to moving into the vastly improved hall. “The overall effect is a closer, more intimate connection between artists and audience,” says Wu Han, “which is a great service to chamber music. One of the most important things to this music is intimacy. We like to give the feeling of being in a private home.” Tully’s openness will undoubtedly draw Juilliard’s young artists even further into the Lincoln Center mix, and the space’s convivial qualities will encourage the new kinds of creativity that come with community and artistic interaction. The revitalized space is also, of course, a boon to the school’s programs, offering students and faculty the opportunity to both use and attend performances in a state-of-the-art space. After the Opening Nights Festival concludes, Tully will once again host concerts that offer New Yorkers a glimpse of the music-making going on within Juilliard’s hallowed halls. Many of the school’s programs and faculty will present concerts in Tully including the chamber music program, the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra, and the Juilliard Orchestra. The Wednesdays at One series returns after 18 months at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, and one of the most popular ensembles bearing the school’s name, the Juilliard String Quartet, appears Polisi anticipates what the changes will mean for his departments, performers, and audiences. The hall has far better dressing rooms and rehearsal space, and the building’s glass façade allows pedestrians to see inside. “Just think,” says Polisi, “walking along Broadway, pedestrians can look up at a glass-enclosed dance rehearsal space. Until now, I’m sure a lot of people didn’t even know Juilliard had a dance department. And there will be a café, and 65th Street has been transformed from a dark passageway into a light-filled street. This overhaul is an investment for the next 40 to 50 years.” For Wu Han, the hall’s forthcoming, accessible design only further increases its ability to foster familial emotions among musicians and chamber music loving audiences. She still remembers her first performance there in 1995, and the thrill of becoming part of such a significant tradition of first-class music making. “So many of us have been deeply touched by this organization,” she says. “We’re totally blessed to be able to continue in such a beautiful environment. We’re just dying to get in there and make some noise.” She wants that noise heard by children, too, and sees the opportunity to use the new Tully for educational programs as one of the greatest advantages of the changes. Alice Tully Hall’s technical alterations, specifically the stage extension and improved sound amplification, contribute to a more child-friendly environment. “Educational programs are far more effective when the music can be brought closer to children,” says Andrew Berger, Education Director of the Chamber Music Society. The Chamber Music Beginnings program introduces New York City school children to chamber music, and Meet the Music! provides the chance for parents to share music with their children in the context of fun, educational performances designed for young children. “Can you imagine what these kids are going to feel like when they walk into our new building?” says Wu Han. The improved hall makes it an even more wonderful place to watch films. Today, Tully has an enhanced sound system and the projection booth is fully equipped to show both film and just about every existing digital format. A new screen has been installed that can “fly” and be stored high above the stage, eliminating the costly and laborious set-up process necessary each time the hall was used to show a film. Without the original Tully there might never have been the New York Film Festival, and without the New York Film Festival, the whole field of film would probably have been very different. After all, the festival introduced American audiences to Bertolucci, Fassbinder, Campion, Almodóvar, and many other noteworthy directors. “The festival elevated film to new importance,” says Richard Peña, Program Director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center. “And the hall gave it a special touch of class. We feel very sentimental about it. We’ve been in a lot of different places. But Alice Tully is home.” Since its opening the hall has provided a high profile platform for all the Film Society’s series, including the popular New Directors/New Films, Rendez-Vous with French Cinema (which opens its 2009 season on March 5 as part of the Opening Nights Festival), and the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival. Each year it welcomes an audience of more than 200,000 film aficionados, filmmakers, and industry leaders of every age, background, and nationality. The Film Society has always been known for its vibrant tributes, and because of the hall’s enhancements, Peña and new Executive Director Mara Manus look forward to organizing many more celebratory events throughout the year. The biggest has always been the annual Gala Tribute honoring the career accomplishments of a major figure in the film world, which until this year was held in Avery Fisher Hall. But on April 27, when the Film Society pays tribute to Tom Hanks, the festivities will take place in the new Alice Tully Hall. If it is anything like the legendary galas of the past, expect a lot more traffic near 65th and Broadway, as people try to catch a glimpse of what’s going on inside. “Lincoln Center is not only about programming but also presentation,” says Peña. “Whether it’s a movie or a piece of chamber music, audiences must have an optimal experience of that particular work of art—and that’s what the new hall provides.” The elegant Alice Tully Hall is now a dazzling, 21st-century cultural mecca that retains the class and charm that made it so beloved over the last 40 years. This dynamic, hospitable space will help the organizations that call it home further improve their current programs, while at the same time encouraging them to find new ways to create, interact, and remain vital parts of the cultural community. “Though we’re not sure how we might work with Juilliard and the Film Society together on future programming at the moment,” says Wu Han, “I know the hall will spark many new ideas. Each of us now has the perfect setting to please our audiences and our artists.” |
