The fully renovated auditorium in Hill Hall is now to be called the James and Susan Moeser Auditorium, in honor of the former chancellor and his wife, who prioritized the arts during their tenure at UNC.
Among the speakers were Chancellor Carol Folt, chairperson of the music department Louise Toppin and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Kevin Guskiewicz. The speakers gave high praise to UNC’s music program, Hill Hall’s makeover and the donors who made the project a reality.
“Hill Hall is a space as glorious as the music that has happened here for more than three quarters of a century,” Guskiewicz said.
Thomas Kenan, a William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust member, said the music department is one of his favorite departments, and hinted at the future presence of a pipe organ in the hall.
“The reason the Chancellor is so sweet to me is that she knew that I was a piano dropout, clarinet dropout,” Kenan said. “After two lessons on the pipe organ, my teacher said ‘Let’s try golf.’”
Musical performances were given by students and faculty to commemorate the auditorium’s opening.
Among them was first-year music major Renee McGee, who performed Igor Stravinsky’s “Fanfare for a New Theatre” with music professor and director of jazz studies James Ketch. McGee said he was thankful for the renovations and that they offered unique acoustic opportunities.
“The acoustics are so incredible that it’s great, especially for a trumpet player, to practice playing in such an open space,” McGee said.
