Faye Spanos Concert Hall, the century-old performance venue that was one of the original buildings on the University of the Pacific campus, now has a vastly expanded stage and new state-of-the-art technology to better record and stream performances from Conservatory of Music students.

After two years, the $400,000 projects are complete. The suite of upgrades provides advanced technology for students while enhancing the venue’s acoustics, modernizing a historic and beloved building.

“These most recent investments exemplify our faculty’s modern vision for California’s first conservatory,” said Conservatory Dean Peter Witte.

The upgraded recording technology allows Faye Spanos and the nearby Recital Hall to connect seamlessly to a recording console in Owen Hall. As a result, students and faculty can perform, record and stream in both venues and send the sound directly to the studio for post-production editing.

“For music industry students, this expands the options in recording and videoing concerts,” said Benom Plumb, associate professor and program director for Music Industry Studies and Music Management. 

“We have new high-end cameras for video capture and video streaming, and new industry-standard microphones,” Plumb said. “Our student-run record label, Pac Ave Records, curates recordings for an annual “Best of Pacific” album featuring the highest quality audio and musical performances of the year. The upgrades will improve the overall quality of the recordings and videos.”

The stage extension added approximately 170% more stage space.

“For decades, Faye’s stage was simply too small, especially in ensemble concerts,” Witte said. “The new stage allows freedom and flexibility. Audiences will be much closer to the action, the sound will be more resonant, and most importantly, students and faculty will have more room to truly breathe, sing and play together.”

Andrew Mell, who is director of operations and teaches Jazz and Music Industry Studies courses, added that it will create “a more natural sound for ensembles, smaller groups and soloists.”

Conservatory student Emma Young ’25 from Silver Spring, Maryland, views the stage upgrade from two perspectives. She is a violinist in the University Symphony Orchestra and works in Faye Spanos Concert Hall operations as part of her music management major, learning the ins and outs of live music careers.

“I certainly spend my share of time at Faye,” Young said with a laugh. “From my first look at the finished project I could see the potential impact. The extra space makes a significant difference.”

The upgrades can be seen in action at the Conservatory of Music’s next performance, Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Conductor-in-residence Matilda Hofman will lead the University Symphony Orchestra in the first of two scheduled appearances with Pacific students.

See the Conservatory schedule for the full list of upcoming performances.