James Madison University is located in the heart of Virginia's historic and beautiful Shenandoah Valley. In the nearly 100 years since its founding in 1908, the university has grown from a small state teachers college for women to its present-day status as an innovative four-year public university of nearly 15,000 students and a faculty of 950. Comprehensive in its scope, JMU is a liberal arts institution with a strong commitment to professional and pre-professional programs.
The Quadrangle, encircled by bluestone buildings and towering old trees, is at the core of JMU's beautiful campus. More than half of JMU's 97 buildings have been constructed in recent years.
The music building, one of the region's largest and most contemporary music instruction facilities, was opened on the Quadrangle in 1989. Since that time, the building -- with music administrative and faculty offices, classrooms, practice rooms, studios, rehearsal halls, laboratories, a recording studio and a music library/listening lab -- has become the university's central facility for music instruction and activities.
On-campus music performances take place in Anthony-Seeger Hall's 200-seat chamber recital hall or the Wilson Hall Auditorium with seating for almost 1,400.
JMU Center for the Performing Arts
Within the next few years, the School of Music will have two new concert/recital halls as part of the new JMU Center for the Performing Arts. The recital hall will have a seating capacity of about 200, and the concert hall 600. The facility will also house a large ensemble rehearsal hall, as well as additional practice room, classroom and office space. In combination with the current music building, the School of Music will have complete, world-class facilities.
Construction of the center's parking garage is already underway and the construction of the Center and its pedestrian viaduct is scheduled to begin in May 2007 with completion scheduled for June 2009.
