Chapin Hall and Bernhard Music Center

Chapin Hall was renovated in the summer of 2015 and is the largest performance space on campus, holding nearly 650 people. It was first built in 1912.

Our large musical ensembles perform here. Department groups such as the Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Zambezi Marimba Band, Gospel Choir, Percussion Ensemble and Williams Opera Workshop make use of the newly renovated hall. Chapin hosts visiting artists, MIDWEEKMUSIC (a concert series that occurs at 12:15 p.m. on select Wednesdays), rehearsals as well as individual lessons.

Many prominent speakers visit Chapin as well. Some of our most recent speakers: Tarana Burke, founder of the 'me too.' movement ('19), Jesmyn Ward ('18), Laverne Cox ('18), Steven Pinker ('18), Janet Mock ('18), Bryan Stevenson ('17), Leehorn Wang ’98 ('16), Henrietta Lacks’ family ('15), Angela Davis ('14), Kristen Anderson Lopez ('13), Stephen Sondheim and Frank Rich ('10), Congressional Black Caucus ('08), Arianna Huffington ('08), George McGovern ('07), Bob Costas ('07), Thomas Friedman ('06), George Stephanopoulos ('05), Salman Rushdie ('04), Ben Stein ('03), James McNamara and Robert Blight ('02) and Madeleine Albright ('02).

Whitney S. Stoddard, late professor of Art History at Williams, believes that Architect Cram modeled Chapin Hall on the Senate House in Cambridge, England.

Chapin is also one of the only performance spaces that can fit a full class of Williams students, which makes it one of the hubs of “First Days”.

Bernhard Music Center is a music building accessible to ALL students, not just music majors. In the 1980s, it won the award for most creative use of concrete in New England, and includes two large recital halls, a number of smaller rehearsal rooms, and 26 soundproof practice rooms with pianos.

Over 25% of students participate in music of some sort—the majority of students who participate in musical events are NOT music majors. The department puts on about 125 productions per year (including student performances and visiting musicians).

Berkshire Symphony is our most prestigious musical ensemble. It is roughly equal parts Williams students, Williams music faculty members and area professionals. There is also Student Symphony, Symphonic Winds and jazz ensembles. We have eight a capella groups, and three choirs (concert, chamber, and gospel). Every other January, the chamber choir and concert choir tour abroad.

The college music subsidy allows all students to take music lessons for free!