Mandel Hall at University of Chicago

Location

1131 E 57th St
Chicago, IL 60637

About

The 109-year-old Mandel Hall, known for its fine acoustics, has long been a treasured music venue for the UChicago community, Hyde Park and surrounding south side communities. Mandel can seat nearly 1,000 in its ornate Victorian interior and has hosted a wide array of composers and musical acts, from Aaron Copeland and Samuel Barber in its early years to the Funkadelics and the Commodores in more recent times. It also is a popular venue for student performances and activities, theatrical performances, and guest speakers.

In 1964, Professor Ralph Shapey founded the Contemporary Chamber Players (CCP), cementing the University's dedication to emerging composers. Almost 40 years later, the CCP continues to keep Mandel Hall at the forefront of new music performance, now organized as the University of Chicago Presents.

Mandel is unique in that it is one of few buildings on the quad with a timber structure. FS crews added cleverly-disguised, code-mandated fire sprinklers, enhanced the acoustics and refreshed the hand-stenciled finishes to breathe new life into the venue.