Two years after opening its doors to faculty and students, Brigham Young University’s School of Music Building was officially dedicated on April 16, 2025, by Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
The main recital hall was filled with faculty, students and Church leaders for the long-awaited event.
Announced back in 2020, the Music Building was designed as a state-of-the-art home for BYU’s growing music programs.
Though the space opened in 2023, the dedication was intentionally postponed until the completion and installation of the building’s signature pipe organ in the Concert Hall.
The four-level, 171,000-square-foot building has already become a hub for classes, rehearsals and performances.
Every square inch was thoughtfully built to accommodate the diverse acoustics of music-making, from chamber rehearsals to full-scale orchestral concerts.
That centerpiece instrument, now completed, was installed in the summer of 2024 and now lives at the heart of BYU’s Concert Hall.
To celebrate the occasion and honor the space, two musical performances were held in the hall.
The Chamber Choral Ensemble, comprised of current students and alumni, performed Guillaume Dufay’s "Nuper rosarum flores" under the direction of David Kime.
Later, the BYU Philharmonic Orchestra performed the finale of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 “Organ Symphony” with Neil Harmon at the organ and Nathan Haines conducting.
President C. Shane Reese offered remarks, calling the performances “emblematic of the amazing things that happen in the School of Music.”
He referenced BYU founder Karl G. Maeser, recalling the story of when Maeser arrived on campus to find the original building had burned down.
While others worried about the future, Maeser reportedly said, “It is but just a building.”
President Reese echoed that sentiment.
“It is the people that will enter these halls—the classrooms, the practice rooms, the faculty offices, and the performance auditorium—that really make up the School of Music," he said. "And they will help us become BYU.”
He described the school as a place of sacred music centered on Jesus Christ, where “you will also do some special things here that are left undone by other institutions.”
Justin Collings, BYU’s academic vice president, spoke about President Spencer W. Kimball’s 1975 prophecy that BYU would become a “refining host for brilliant stars in many disciplines, including music.”
He noted that the dedication of the building fulfilled that vision.
Before giving the dedicatory prayer, Elder Christofferson shared his thoughts.
He emphasized that the process of creating and refining the university of BYU requires dedication, patience, and continual effort.
“We must take thought. We must take effort. We must be patient. We must be professional. We must be spiritual,” he said. “Then in the process of time, this will become the fully anointed university of the Lord, about which so much has been spoken in the past.”
After offering his dedicatory prayer over the building, the service concluded with a closing hymn, “Redeemer of Israel,” conducted by Shawn Smith.
At BYU, building dedications hold a unique spiritual significance, with prayer and blessings setting the space apart for its sacred purpose.
This tradition reflects the university’s commitment to creating environments that support both academic and spiritual growth, in alignment with the values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
These ceremonies recognize that education, like worship, can be a holy endeavor.
A dedicatory prayer formally sets apart the space for its intended use, asking for divine guidance and protection over those who teach, learn, and create within it.
The practice reflects BYU’s mission to blend spiritual and intellectual growth and to keep Christ at the center of all learning.
Now, with the School of Music Building officially dedicated, a new era of sacred sound and artistic excellence begins, rooted in faith and reaching toward the future.
