Donna and Marvin Schwartz Center for Performing Arts

The Donna and Marvin Schwartz Center for Performing Arts is a premier destination for both performance and study at Emory. Made possible by the generous donation of its philanthropist namesakes, the Donna and Marvin Schwartz Center for Performing Arts opened its doors on February 1, 2003. The 90,000 square foot facility provides teaching and performance spaces for various programs, including music, dance, and theater.

Cherry Logan Emerson Concert Hall is the focal point of the Schwartz Center. An acoustic marvel, the concert hall has 825 seats and a 3,605 pipe organ. The concert hall was named in honor of Emory alumnus, chemist, philanthropist, and businessman Cherry Logan Emerson, who made a generous $1 million donation towards its construction. The concert hall was designed by renowned acousticians Kirkegaard & Associates, who have designed concert halls and performing arts centers around the world, including for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the Philadelphia Academy of Music.

Several performances and special events have been held at the Schwartz Center since it opened. Visiting speakers have included President Jimmy Carter; the Honorable 14th Dalai Lama; Alice Walker; E.O. Wilson; Salman Rushdie; and former US Poet Laureate, Pulitzer Prize–winner, and Emory professor Natasha Trethewey; as well as Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney.

Theater Emory is a professional theater company based in the Schwartz Center that casts and employs students alongside professionals to give students real experience in the theater industry. Students can be cast in shows as actors, or work backstage as stage managers, designers, and even directors. Students do not need to be involved in the Department of Theater Studies to participate in Theater Emory productions, they just need to be enthusiastic and ready to work.

The Emory Arts Passport allows free entry into most ticketed arts events on campus throughout the year. The Passport is free during a student’s first year on campus, and it is available to upperclassmen for a small fee. The passport can give you access to events like the rotating student arts gallery held in the Career Center, and Campus Movie Fest, the world’s largest student film festival.

There are many student-run performing groups on campus, open for auditions to all students, regardless of prior experience. If you’re into acting or directing, Ad Hoc or Dooley’s Players are great theater groups on campus, performing multiple shows throughout the year. If you want to give improv a try, Rathskeller is always a fun time. If you love to sing, there are seven different acapella groups on campus, or you could join the choir. If playing an instrument is more your thing, you could join the orchestra or one of the many bands on campus. And if you are interested in dance, there are more than 20 different student groups to join, including the Adrenaline and Persuasion dance teams.