The first classes in Northwestern’s new Music and Communication Building were held Monday for music students, but the formal opening will not occur until Fall Quarter 2015.

The building allows the Bienen School of Music to consolidate all of its programs in one place — which has not been possible for more than 35 years — by connecting to the Regenstein Hall of Music.

“I walked over to the new building this morning and was thrilled to see the excitement on the faces of students and faculty who were experiencing the classrooms for the first time,” Bienen Dean Toni-Marie Montgomery wrote in an email to The Daily. “The new facilities are a tremendous gift to the Bienen School family and we are grateful for the university’s significant investment in our future.”

The top floor of the building is designed to house administrative and faculty offices for the School of Communication, while the rest will be used by Bienen. The classrooms are equipped with Smart Classroom technology and have special features that contribute to musical instruction, such as surround sound and audio playback. Along with classrooms, offices and studios, the building has a 400-seat recital hall and opera theater.

“One of the many benefits of our coming together in one complex is that these new classrooms will be available to all faculty in the Bienen School and will support the instructional needs of both academic and performance areas of the school,” said Rene E. Machado, Bienen School associate dean for administration and finance, in a news release.

The School of Communication began moving into the building over Spring Break and will finish its transition after commencement on June 19. A formal dedication will take place Sept. 24.

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