Published: Jan. 28, 2019

CU Boulder invites students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community to a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, Feb. 4, to kick off construction of a new 64,000-square-foot addition to the Warner Imig Music Building that is slated to open in time for the fall 2020 semester.

If you go

Who: Open to the public
What: Groundbreaking ceremony for new Imig Music Building addition
When: Monday, Feb. 4,10 a.m.
Where: Imig Music
Public parking: Euclid Parking Garage


Fast facts

Key features:

  • State-of-the-art recording suite
  • Innovative convertible practice/performance spaces
  • Dedicated suites for the Entrepreneurship Center for Music and the Musicians’ Wellness Program
  • New dance studio and theaterclassroom for Theatre & Dance

Construction begins: January 2019
Anticipated completion: Summer 2020
Square feet: 64,000
Architect: Pfeiffer Partners Architects, Inc.
General contractor: Adolfson & Peterson Construction

Construction Updates Become a Partner

The addition’s opening is scheduled to align with the College of Music’s 100th anniversary,enhancing the college’s standing as a national leader as it kicks off a second century of excellence in music teaching and research.

“This addition will help expand the definition of artistry for College of Music students, faculty and alumniand create new opportunities for interdisciplinary partnerships across the campus,” said Robert Shay, dean of the College of Music. “I can’t wait to share the excitement of this groundbreaking with students, faculty, alumni and community partners whose experiences at Imig will be transformed by this project.”

The public groundbreaking ceremony will begin in Grusin Music Hall before moving out to the construction site on the south side of the Imig building. The event will include comments from Shay, CU Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano and College of Music partners. It will be followed immediatelyby a reception at the Center for Academic Success and Engagement (CASE).

The CU Board of Regents in June approved $57 million in spending authority for construction of the addition. Work began earlier this month to demolish the southern portion of the Imig building to make way for the new three-story addition along Wardenburg Drive.

The anticipated construction timeline means College of Music students in this year’s freshman and sophomore classes will complete their upper division course, rehearsal and performance experiences in the new space.

Features of the addition will include a state-of-the-art recording studio, dedicated suites for the Entrepreneurship Center for Music and Musicians’ Wellness Program, new classroom space, additional work and studio space for faculty and staff, and supplemental practice rooms to address overcrowding the college currently faces. Innovative rehearsal halls that convert to performance spaces, meanwhile, will help strengthen the college’s deep ties to the community through College of Music events.

The addition alsowill mark a major step toward consolidating College of Music programming into one facility, creating increased opportunities for collaboration across departments, as the choral department relocates from Macky Auditorium into the new space.

The addition also includes space for the Department of Theatre & Dance, providing a dance studio, changing rooms and a theaterclassroom.

The College of Music, through its music+ campaign, continues to work with prospective benefactors and industry partners who are interested in supporting the world-class people and programs who will benefit from the new addition. Such support is critical to sustaining a top music program that drives innovation and produces the next generation of musicians who will impact humanity through their art.