Brown University will name its new state-of-the-art performance venue The Lindemann Performing Arts Center.
The center’s name recognizes a generous gift from Frayda B. Lindemann — a Brown University trustee, proud Brown parent and grandparent, and president and CEO of the board of directors at the Metropolitan Opera in New York — alongside her late husband, George Lindemann Sr., a longtime University benefactor, business executive and art collector who died in 2018.
The Lindemann Performing Arts Center, slated to open in the heart of Brown’s campus in fall 2023, will build on the University’s reputation as a premier destination for cutting-edge scholarship and performance in many artistic disciplines, including music, theater, dance, literary art, visual art and multiple kinds of experimental collaborations.
The Lindemanns are providing crucial support for the construction and operation of the unique, flexible space, which features a state-of-the-art main hall that can transform into five different configurations for a variety of performances and presentations; a suite of modern studios custom-designed for theater, music, dance and other artistic explorations; and a transparent “slice” of windows through the main level that invites the Brown and Providence communities to witness and engage in the artmaking process.
The center’s name was unveiled on Tuesday, May 24, during a small celebration with University leaders, faculty and staff from the Brown Arts Institute, and members of the Lindemann family. The building’s name is visible to passersby in Providence, etched into the façade of the building where construction continues on Angell Street, adjacent to the Granoff Center for the Creative Arts.
According to University President Christina H. Paxson, with the opening of The Lindemann Performing Arts Center on the horizon, Brown is positioned to become a top destination for world-class arts scholars, students committed to the arts, international artists and regional community members who will be invited to make, present and witness work in the new center. The center’s placement next to the Granoff Center creates a strong hub on campus for creativity, expression, experimentation and discovery.
“We see a future where Brown is the primary destination for students who want to fully integrate the arts into a complete education, and The Lindemann Performing Arts Center is an important part of that vision,” Paxson said. “By supporting artistic scholarship and innovation in this truly one-of-a-kind space, Frayda Lindemann is helping the University create a distinctive home for generations of talented students, faculty, community members and visiting artists.”