Fanfare marks the opening of the RIT Performing Arts Center

The new RIT Performing Arts Center was built not just for performance, but for possibility, RIT President Bill Sanders said.

The center, which will welcome its first audience tonight, was officially opened this morning following a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“This will be a space where technology enhances artistry, where access is foundational, and where collaboration thrives,” Sanders said.

The 747-seat, 50,000-square-foot building will provide a state-of-the-art venue for theater, musical theater, music, and dance for both RIT students and community groups.

It is the first major theater to open in the Rochester region in decades.

Sanders credited the complex to RIT President Emeritus Dave Munson who imagined a venue to attract more students involved in performing arts while they pursued their technical degrees. Munson retired June 30, 2025, after leading the university for eight years.

Munson said he recalls mentioning the idea of a performing arts center to the RIT Board of Trustees in 2017. Ground was broken on the project on Sept. 6, 2023.

“From the very beginning, this performing arts center was about fostering opportunity: opportunity for our students to explore their creativity, to collaborate across disciplines, and to grow as artists as well as innovators. And now, that vision has come to life,” Munson said, adding that he is excited to see what lies ahead for the complex.

He said the stage will be the setting for moments of discovery, contemplation, courage, and sheer joy. “And years from now, when students look back on their time at RIT, I believe some of their most meaningful memories will have been made right here, whether those students are on stage, backstage, at the console of the historic theater organ, or applauding from the audience.”

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Carlos Ortiz/RIT

Jeffrey Gross, a fifth-year mechanical engineering student and a drummer, said the combination of STEM and a robust non-major music program attracted him to RIT.

Several RIT administrators, donors, faculty, staff, students, and famed Los Angeles-based architect Michael Maltzan, who designed the center, were involved in the opening ceremony.

Maltzan said it was important to incorporate the building into the campus. For example, by placing rehearsal rooms, costume shops, and scene shops along the perimeter and opening them to view, designers made the act of creation part of the public experience.

“So much of what happens in performing arts buildings are typically hidden behind the scenes,” he said. “Here, we wanted to bring that activity forward and to make it part of the daily life of the campus.”

Erica Haskell, director of RIT’s School of Performing Arts, called the center “a stunning new venue,” worthy of students’ talent, ambition, and their relentless creativity. “Our students balance rigorous majors, many in STEM fields, with the collaborative artistry of performance, both on stage and behind the scenes. This building reflects the breadth of who they are and the depth of what they contribute to our community and beyond.”

Jeffrey Gross, a fifth-year dual-degree mechanical engineering major from Olney, Md., decided to attend RIT due, in part, to the opportunities that allowed him to continue the drumming he took up in high school. He is one of more than 3,000 students who has received a Performing Arts Scholarship since 2019.

Gross participated in the Jazz Ensemble, The Jive jazz quintet, and several theatrical productions at RIT.

“I knew I didn’t want to leave music behind when I moved on to higher education, but the degree to which it would be able to stay in my life was a complete unknown,” Gross said. “The investments in the musical infrastructure at RIT have been incredible, and I feel so fortunate to have access to the resources we do.”

A sold-out student cabaret-style performance is planned for its inaugural performance in the evening. The complex will also be open during Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation Festival on April 25.