Conrad Prebys Music Center

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  This place is amazing.  Not only do they have sound proof practice rooms, some even have pianos, but they also have really comfortable leather couches. It have a sort of isolated feel to it, which helps me focus on readings and other assignments.

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  Posted on 02.02.13 Amanda S.

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  It's an intimate venue at UCSD for artists to perform. I've been here several times for quartet performances and the acoustics are rather nice. The seats are nicely proportioned and comfy. Everyone can see, unless an extremely tall person comes to sit in front of you, well then you're kind of out of luck.

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  Posted on 10.06.12 Mai K.

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  My favorite building at UCSD. And favorite place to be on campus.
  
  During my first year as a music major, the music department was unfortunately located in the Mandeville building, which, in my opinion, have terrible acoustics and tool sheds as practice rooms.  However, during my third year, the new music building opened, and my life got 100% better.
  
  The shows I've been to varies from jazz compositions to classical, and of course, avant garde.  Being a composition music major, I even had a couple of my pieces performed here too!   The main concert room is not only beautiful, but the sound is impeccable, thanks to the well designed architecture of the main concert hall.  The seats are comfortable, and the stage is well lit.
  
  A+ for the sound
  A for the comfort
  A+ for the performers
  
  However, being an audience member, you have to be very very quiet, because the sound is very sensitive.  Good for the performer, a little too awk for the audience member.  A cough can get pretty loud, so hush up.
  
  Aside from the main concert hall, there are three other main rooms that are regularly used for lectures and classes.  The practice rooms are great, but make sure to sign up early on Mondays to reserve a spot for yourself.  
  Sometimes the light goes out because of the motion detector, and when it does, you have to wave your arms for it to light up again, which I find amusing.  
  
  In conclusion, I'm going to miss this place when I graduate!  :(  wahh.

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  Posted on 03.03.11 Melissa N.

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  I saw a performance of the Calder Quartet at the Prebys Hall and had a phenomenal time. The first part of the string quartet concert was comprised of a short proto-minimalist piece by Stravinsky, and an at-times very dissonant piece called "Arcadiana" by British composer Thomas Adès.
  
  The second part of the programme was classic, a romantic set by Schubert; String Quartet No.15 in G Major, D.887:
   Allegro molto moderato.
   Andante un poco moto.
   Scherzo: Allegro vivace.
   Allegro assai.

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  Posted on 06.19.10 Carmen T.

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  This review is based entirely upon the 10 minutes that I have spent in the concert hall, stopping in while taking a short self-guided our of the new facilities.  The first thing you notice is the odd design, triangular ceiling panels abound, and there is a massive diffusive array on the back wall. When I first opened my mouth to speak, I was convinced that there were microphones in play... I was just talking at a soft murmer, yet my voice was booming throughout the auditorium.  I could carry out a whispered conversation with my wife when she and I were standing at opposite ends of the hall - and with every syllable clearly heard. I look forward to seeing some of the Wednesday night concerts that they will be holding this fall. And when the hall is filled with sound-absorbing people, the reverb will settle into a tasteful, lush ambience. Thoroughly amazing.

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  Posted on 09.18.09 Daniel P.

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  The Conrad Prebys Music Center is the new home of the Department of Music at UCSD.  For the rest of us, the Prebys Center is a brand new shiny venue to enjoy music in a beautiful and contemporary setting.  Last week, UCSD introduced the Prebys Center with a grand opening celebration (with much fanfare on campus), and now a music festival is going on, showcasing all different genres of music.
  
  I dropped by last night to enjoy a (free) chamber music concert.  The music was really avantgarde and experimental, and not really up my alley.  I still have no good explanation for the girl who was violently whacking the keys on her piccolo, or the dude who played the same single note on his piano over and over again for minutes on end.  But whatever, it's "experimental."  I have a decent enough sense of humor about the whole thing.
  
  Honestly, the only reason I went to the show was to check out the much-vaunted Prebys auditorium.  The space is really quite stunning, with giant wooden panels all over the stage, arranged in cool geometric designs.  You have to see it yourself to really appreciate the architectural innovation that went into this place.  (Also, the auditorium has some fun little techno-art on the walls outside.  Check it out if you want to see old motherboards turned into clever blinking "instruments.")
  
  The auditorium has some amazing acoustics -- perhaps a little too amazing.  You can hear absolutely anything in there.  And that includes the indigestion of the guy sitting behind me, the vibrating cell phone of the woman to my right, and the crotch-scratching of the guy to my left.   I think Conrad Prebys might've gotten more than he bargained for.

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  Posted on 05.19.09 David G.

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