Lorton Performance Center - Kendall College of Arts and Sciences

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School of Music

Lorton Performance Center

The Roxana Rózsa and Robert Eugene Lorton Performance Center, located at 550 S. Gary Place just west of Harvard between 5th and 8th Streets on the beautiful University of Tulsa campus, is TU’s showcase facility for the musical and performance arts. Completed in 2011 as part of the Embrace the Future fundraising campaign which raised more than $698,000,000, the building serves as home to the School of Music and the Department of Film Studies. The 77,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility includes the Herbert and Roseline Gussman Concert Hall with seating for 635 on two floors, as well as a full performance stage with ballet floor, scenery fly and trap room, a hydraulic orchestra pit, and the most technologically current theatrical lighting and acoustical control booths.

Upon arriving at the Lorton Performance Center guests enter the 6,000-square-foot Ann and Jack Graves Grand Hall, an elegant and spacious lobby which serves as an art gallery and pre-function space for receptions and similar gatherings. The Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig Recital Hall, located at the north end of the building, accommodates 88 guests in fixed seating with flip-desktops, making this an ideal music and film classroom setting as well as a venue for recitals, meetings, presentations and performances. On the opposite end of the building is the George Kaiser Family Foundation Rehearsal Hall where instrumental music is learned and rehearsed through jazz, percussion, brass and other music studies.

The Lorton Performance Center also houses spacious faculty offices and studios for the School of Music and the Department of Film Studies; specialized rehearsal and practice rooms designed to accommodate groups of various sizes; classrooms and seminar rooms; an electronic piano laboratory; the Dr. Jacob W. Jorishie Practice Suites, individual practice rooms for vocal and instrumental instruction; the Peggy Dow Helmerich Post-Production Lab for film scoring and editing; dressing suites complete with a green room and VIP lounge, as well as shower and laundry facilities; ample space for theatrical set and instrument storage; a costume shop and a scenery staging room; catering kitchen; ticket office; and dramatic colonnade featuring distinctive two-story Gothic arches that overlook a sweeping front lawn leading up to Harvard Avenue.

Many other very generous donors helped complete the most ambitious building project in TU history, enhancing TU’s outreach to the community and further solidifying TU’s mission since 1907 as a cornerstone of Tulsa’s cultural enrichment. The Lorton Performance Center fosters collaboration among artists of all discipline, connecting visitors to TU’s productions with a top-quality experience from the front door to the curtain call. A new season of cultural enrichment awaits for your enjoyment.

Venue Availability

The Lorton Performance Center is available for public use and offers the following services.

  • Accessibility

    Special Needs

    The Lorton Performance Center is completely ADA compliant and fully accessible to guests with special needs. Complimentary assisted listening devices, handicap-accessible seating on both floors and an elevator are available to make your experience convenient and enjoyable.

    Parking

    Unmetered parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis in the lots surrounding the Lorton Performance Center: North LPC, East LPC and Harvard LPC Lots. Additional parking is also available in lots located farther from the building and on some city streets as marked. All campus parking lots include handicap spaces.

    Please be advised that on athletic game days/nights, ALL University of Tulsa lots are reserved for game patrons and access will be allowed to those lots with a game ticket only. The event calendar has been scheduled around these dates as much as possible, but changes in scheduling sometimes occurs so LPC patrons should visit the Tulsa Hurricane website to verify game schedules and plan accordingly.

  • Performance
    • Technical assistance and limited lighting design is available as part of the rental agreement. More extensive technical needs and set and/or lighting design can be hired through Lorton Performance Center staff, or through outside labor which will be coordinated by LPC staff at client cost.
    • A specialized logo light display commonly called a “GOBO” can also be purchased for display in Gussman Concert Hall prior to performances or presentations; this also is coordinated through LPC staff at client cost.
    • Specialized A/V equipment, podiums or furnishings, props or other staging needs outside of LPC inventory can be rented locally through LPC staff at client cost.
    • A box office is available for ticketed events and staff may be hired through LPC staff at client cost. Ticketed events through myticketoffice.com are subject to the fees and requirements of this service.
    • Digital promotion of special events is available at no charge on LPC digital displays located on the first and second floors. Clients can provide 1080 x 1920 vertically-formatted PNG files by contacting the LPC staff.
    • Complimentary assisted listening devices, handicap-accessible seating on both floors and an elevator provide access for special needs guests.
  • Hospitality
    • Reservations and special requirements for venues, events, performances, etc. are coordinated through the LPC staff.
    • The Green Room at Lorton Performance Center is available for VIP performers and can be outfitted with preferred amenities either through the client or through campus dining services, at client cost.
    • Furnishings such as tables, chairs, table coverings, banquet stations, specialized lighting, etc., as required by event, can be rented at client cost.
    • Custom bar stations customized to the interior of Graves Grand Hall are provided for special events at no charge, as well as limited furnishings such as registration tables, chairs and coat racks.
    • A coat check room is available for client use; coat check and valet services can be hired at client cost as preferred.
    • Pre-function performance, i.e. a jazz band trio or string quartet, can be hired at client cost and coordinated through LPC staff.
    • Food-based events must be catered by campus dining services unless an exemption is allowed. Menus, policies, forms and contact information can be found on the Event Planning page.
    • Other specific needs or services can be determined by contacting the LPC staff.
    • Tours may be scheduled by appointment by contacting the LPC staff to arrange reservations.
  • Reservation Requests

    Please submit reservation requests a minimum of ten (10) business days prior to the event date.

    Event Planning at TU

  • Contact the Staff of LPC

    Lorton Performance Center

    The University of Tulsa
    800 South Tucker Drive
    Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104

    Physical Address: 550 S. Gary Place

    918-631-5240

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