Pictured above: Julien J. Studley Theatre
The McKenna Theatre, with a capacity of 358, provides a superb acoustical environment for faculty recitals, student ensemble performances, and concerts by visiting artists.*
The Julien J. Studley Theatre, with a capacity of 620, hosts large-ensemble performances by the Symphonic Band, the College-Youth Symphony, the Choral Ensembles, the Jazz Ensembles, and visiting groups including the Hudson Valley Philharmonic
The Nadia and Max Shepard Recital Hall, seating 125, offers an intimate setting for chamber music performances and student recitals.
Recording Studio: Our primary recording studio is directly connected to the large Shepard Recital Hall concert space, giving students the unique opportunity to record full ensembles including choir, jazz bands, wind ensembles, and classical performances. Featuring both a Steinway and Yamaha grand piano, the hall provides a rich acoustic environment ideal for high-quality classical and contemporary recordings.
The studio’s open and flexible layout allows students to configure sessions for a wide range of musical styles and ensemble sizes. Students regularly collaborate with other courses, performers, and student organizations across campus, creating a dynamic, interdisciplinary recording experience that mirrors professional studio workflows. See the full list of Recording Studio equipment.
Music Technology Lab: The Music Technology Lab supports both classroom instruction and independent student work. Equipped with 12 individual stations, the lab is used for courses such as Basic and Advanced Recording Techniques, Electronic Music, Game Audio, and emerging offerings in music and audio for media. Each station is designed to provide students with a professional yet accessible production environment, reinforcing concepts learned in studio settings while supporting hands-on experimentation and project development. See the full list of Music Technology Lab equipment.
Electronic Music Studio: A creative laboratory dedicated to sound design, synthesis, and experimentation. Designed for hands-on learning, this space supports our electronic music curriculum by introducing students to the fundamentals of synthesizers, signal flow, sequencing, and modular systems. Students work with a diverse collection of analog, digital, and modular instruments—learning how sounds are built from the ground up while developing personal workflows and sonic identities. This studio is an ideal environment for exploration, innovation, and creative risk-taking. See the full list of Electronic Music Studio equipment.
Instrument collections: SUNY New Paltz owns a collection of over 40 pianos that include 4 concert Steinway D grand pianos. Every teaching studio and practice space is equipped with a Steinway grand or Yamaha upright piano, located throughout College Hall, Mckenna Theater and Old Main buildings.
Collegium Musicum, the ensemble for early music, possesses a large early instrument collection. Included are numerous recorders, crumhorns and shawms, modern copies of renaissance and baroque flutes, lutes, archlute, cittern, rebec, sackbut, cornetto, diatonic harps, bowed psaltery, a set of viols, a hurdy-gurdy, and a harpsichord. The ensemble also holds a rich collection of literature and music from the medieval, renaissance, and baroque eras.
Burmese Saing Waing and Gamelan Si Betty: The music department houses a complete Burmese Saing Waing orchestra set comprising over 30 pitched barrel drums, hand drums, pot gongs, cymbals and bells. These instruments are use in the Southeast Asian music ensemble course offered to all students in the college.
Gamelan Si Betty is an American Gamelan modeled after an Indonesian Javanese gamelan built for late composer Lou Harrison. This set of metallophones and pot gongs is used to teach students fundamentals of Indonesian music.
Sojourner Truth Library has a comprehensive collection of music books, scores, and a subscription to the entire Naxos catalogue, as well as listening stations for CDs and DVDs.
*Please note: McKenna Theatre is currently closed as we assess and remediate safety concerns to ensure the health and safety of our employees, students, and visitors.
