Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Wenger Highlights College Install of Active Acoustics at IAVM's VenueConnect Show

  • 07/19/16

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – How can campus performing venues stretch their acoustic potential, to better host a variety of events? Attendees to the International Association of Venue Managers’ VenueConnect show in Minneapolis, MN (July 23-26, 2016) can hear firsthand about advancements in active acoustics technology. Representatives from Wenger and Lexicon will discuss a world-premiere installation at Wartburg College in Waverly, IA, on July 25 at 11:00 a.m.

With this new system, Neumann Auditorium at Wartburg College in Waverly has been transformed from a dated, problematic facility to a showplace for Wartburg’s renowned music programs. For the first time in years, the band, orchestra and choir can put on shows like their annual homecoming and Christmas programs together in the same venue. The new active acoustics system also makes it possible to perform classical pieces composed for choir and orchestra, which had to be avoided in the past due to concerns about sound quality. With these improvements, Neumann Auditorium now offers musicians and audience members a performance like they’ve never heard before.

The new active acoustics system also offers something that traditional acoustic treatments can’t do: the creative flexibility to create music programming that simply wouldn’t be possible with conventional technology.

“You can simulate any acoustic you want. It’s virtually limitless,” says Lee Nelson, Wartburg’s director of Choral Activities. “You could create a choral/orchestral performance setting, a choral setting for cathedral performances and a setting for a piano concerto — all within the same concert if you wish. And, all settings can be stored and recalled at any time.”

The new active acoustics system has also become a selling point in the battle to attract talented student performers, events and concerts. Prior to the installation, Neumann Auditorium’s less-than-ideal acoustics were a drag on recruiting efforts, and made it impossible to host concerts by certain artists and bands.

Assumption College in Worcester, MA, recently purchased an active acoustics system, which will be installed in 2017.

Get more info on this July 25 performing arts session here.

Featured

  • Minnesota Middle School Finishes $23.5M Addition and Modernization

    Highland Park Middle School in St. Paul, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $23.5-million addition and remodel project, according to a news release. Saint Paul Public Schools partnered with ATS&R Planners, Architects & Engineers for its design and Kraus-Anderson for its construction.

  • Countway Library at Harvard Medical School

    From Shadows to Sanctuary: The Transformation of Light at Countway Library

    The renovation of Countway Library at Harvard Medical School demonstrates how biophilic design and advanced lighting strategies transformed a formerly dark, insular space into a vibrant, welcoming hub that supports wellness, learning, and community engagement.

  • Rhode Island Boarding School Completes Student Dorm Renovations

    St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., recently announced the completion of a $26-million renovation project on Arden-Diman-Eccles Dormitory, according to a news release. The school partnered with Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) on the new space, which places a new focus on collaborative community spaces open to both boarding students and day students.

  • Pitzer College

    Designing for Change in Higher Ed Learning Environments

    Higher education will continue to evolve, and learning environments must evolve with it. By prioritizing adaptable infrastructure, thoughtful reuse, strong energy performance, and wellness-centered design, campuses can create spaces that support learning today while remaining flexible for the future.