Kupferberg Center and Performing Arts Records

The performing arts has been central to Queens College since its earliest days. The Department of Music was founded in 1938 and grew into the prestigious Aaron Copland School of Music. The Queens College Choral Society and Orchestral Society date to the 1940s.

Today, the college’s Kupferberg Center for the Arts (KCA) is a state-of-the-art performing arts complex. The complex was formerly named Charles S. Colden Center, in dedication to the founder of Queens College. KCA now consists of the Colden Auditorium, Goldstein Theatre, and LeFrak Center Hall.

Constructed in 1960, Colden Auditorium and Goldstein Theatre both serve as venues for popular music, theater, and lecture presentations. Colden Auditorium, the largest venue space in Queens, and LeFrak Center Hall are both available for public rental, and are frequently used by community organizations and local schools for events such as theater performances and graduations.

In 2006, Queens College received a generous donation of $10 million from alumnus Max Kupferberg to expand and renovate the center. Phase I of the project was completed in 2010 and Phase II was completed in 2012, just in time for the college’s celebration of its 75th anniversary. It was later named Kupferberg Center for the Arts in honor of Max Kupferberg.

KCA’s mission is “to provide high quality, accessible and affordable cultural attractions to the Queens College community and the borough’s 2.3 million residents.” It also welcomes emerging artists and international attractions to reflect the borough’s multicultural community. Over the decades, KCA has been the performance site of local, regional, and world-renowned artists. Past performers include Jerry Seinfeld, David Bowie, The Byrds, Patti LaBelle, Natalie Cole, Chuck Berry, and Johnny Mathis.

References:

“Events in the Media.” FYI: Queens College Faculty/Staff News, Sep. 2012, www.qc.cuny.edu/communications/newsletter/Documents/FYI_September2012.pdf.

“Kupferberg Center Performances,” NYC-ARTS: The Complete Guide, www.nyc-arts.org/organizations/304/kupferberg-center-performances.

Tsang, Holly. “Kupferberg Center Ready for Act Two.” Forest Hills Times, 02 Nov. 2010, foresthillstimes.com/view/full_story/10137174/article-Kupferberg-Center-ready-for-act-two.