Gordon College Announces Transformational New Building: Adams Center for Music

WENHAM, MA – January 14, 2026 – Gordon College is proud to announce the creation of the Adams Center for Music, a world-class performance hall and incredible expansion to the College’s music program. Representing the most significant building project at Gordon since the Ken Olsen Science Center in 2008, the Adams Center is made possible by a landmark planned gift from Stephen and Denise Adams, champions of the arts and higher education.

“This project reflects Gordon’s commitment to investing in the arts and expanding the reach and reputation of our music program,” said Gordon College President Michael D. Hammond. “The Adams Center will be one of the finest collegiate musical facilities in Massachusetts—serving as a beacon for musical excellence, community engagement and academic distinction throughout all of New England.”

Scheduled to break ground in summer 2026 and open in fall 2028, the Adams Center will bring all of Gordon’s music programs, including choral and instrumental ensembles, under one roof for the first time in the College’s history.

“This is more than a building; it is a catalyst for transformation,” said Dr. Sarita Kwok, Dean of the Adams School of Music and the Arts. “The Adams Center for Music will open new opportunities for our students and faculty, serve as a magnet for world-renowned performers and educators, and extend an open invitation to our surrounding community. Acoustically and visually, it will be a space of inspiration.” 

Designed by Epstein Joslin + Picardy Architects, distinguished for their acclaimed acoustic and visual artistry for world class music organizations across the country, the Center will feature best-in-class performance and rehearsal spaces, including a 500-seat performance hall, large ensemble rehearsal room and dedicated spaces for choral and music education—all with sweeping views of A. J. Gordon Memorial Chapel and the campus landscape. 

The new building, adjoining the existing Phillips Music Center, will feature striking glass apertures along the campus pathways allowing direct views into all key performance and rehearsal spaces—symbolizing transparency, creativity and connection. The stage of the performance hall will accommodate a variety of performances, from large choral-orchestral masterworks to chamber music. Wrap-around seating, enveloping the performers, will provide each audience member with a deeply immersive and communal musical experience—offering a shared, intimate engagement among performers and audience members alike.

“We are proud to support Gordon College with the design and build of this distinctive performance venue with its exceptional acoustic quality,” said Alan Joslin, founding principal of Epstein Joslin + Picardy Architects. “The most eye-catching features of the building will be its transparency and communal shaping, both literal and symbolic. The extensive and creative use of glass throughout this design serves as a visual and embracing invitation to both the Gordon community and the North Shore region to engage with the arts in a profound way.”

The Adams family has a long and distinguished history of investing in music education, and this gift continues that lifelong commitment. 

“This building reflects Stephen’s and my belief that music deserves spaces designed with the same care and intentionality as the art itself,” said Denise Adams. “The Adams Center for Music’s transcendent power is not only a beautiful connection to the existing Gordon campus landscape, but also an ecosystem which nurtures creativity, community and inspiration to flourish.”

Previously, the Adams family’s transformational support for the Yale School of Music enabled tuition-free education for all its students, expanded access for promising musicians and strengthened the school’s global reputation for excellence. Building on that legacy, their gift to Gordon reflects a shared belief that music has the power to elevate the human spirit, foster community and inspire future generations.

“I am confident this new building will create a vibrant and collaborative environment for the arts on the North Shore of Boston—complementing both the broader vision of the Adams School and Gordon’s deep commitment to the visual, performing and communication arts.” said Kwok. 

For more information and ongoing building project updates, please visit gordon.edu/AdamsCenter.

About Gordon College

Gordon College is located on the North Shore of Boston in Wenham, MA, and is the only nationally ranked, multidenominational Christian college in New England. Gordon believes students and professionals should be equipped to flourish in an uncertain and changing world, which is why career-focused academics blend with a life-giving faith community to prepare Christians to make a difference with hope and confidence. With over 125 academic programs, Gordon currently serves 1,300 undergraduate and 550 graduate students. For more information visit www.gordon.edu.