Sean Ono Lennon will open Liverpool University's new "world class" culture centre, named after his mother Yoko Ono Lennon.
Found on the corner of Grove Street and Oxford Street, the Yoko Ono Lennon Centre will house teaching facilities and will be the home of the Tung Auditorium - the University 's state-of-the-art concert hall. It will open on Friday with an evening gala concert held in honour of Yoko Ono Lennon.
Composer and former University of Liverpool student Professor Shirley J. Thompson OBE’s One World – a re-imagining and homage to John Lennon’s song Imagine - will open the hall on Friday.
READ MORE: Cilla Black's wedding day in Liverpool captured in unearthed photos
Yoko Ono Lennon said: “I am thrilled to be recognised with the naming of the new performance centre at the University of Liverpool. Thank you to the University and to the people of Liverpool for this wonderful honour.
"Liverpool has become part of me from years of going there, and with this new centre part of me will always be there – for that I’m very thankful. I think John is smiling about it too. I’m also very thankful that our son, Sean is there in Liverpool for the celebrations around the opening.”
Sean Ono Lennon, son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono Lennon, said: “They used to say behind every great man was a great woman. But my parents famously stood beside each other as equals.
"It is a beautiful statement that the University of Liverpool would recognise my mother in this way. In a city synonymous with my father’s achievements it is especially meaningful to acknowledge Yoko Ono for the remarkable human being that she is. I’m just really chuffed to be here.”
The centre will include the 600-seat Paul Brett Lecture Theatre and The Tung Auditorium, a 400-seat acoustically optimised, flexible, music performance space, designed for solo, chamber, choral and orchestral performances, with adjustable acoustics to accommodate a wide variety of jazz, folk, pop, electro-acoustic and experimental music. Yoko Ono Lennon’s famous Wish Tree installation will be found in the Peace Atrium, and the Fröhlich Café Bar will be open to the public.
Richard Hartwell, The Tung Auditorium Artistic Director, said: “Due to its cutting edge design, The Tung Auditorium is possibly the finest concert hall in the world. The excellent acoustics will bring out the very best creativity in anyone who uses it, from students, tutors, youth groups, and amateur ensembles, to internationally acclaimed visiting artists.”
Professor Catherine Tackley, Head of the University ’s Department of Music, added: “We are very proud of what the Yoko Ono Lennon Centre offers not only the University, but also the city and region. As well as offering a busy programme of public performance, our students will benefit from involvement in all aspects of The Tung Auditorium’s operation, from front of house to sound technician roles, delivering so much valuable experience as they look towards their careers.”
The Gala Concert will open with One World, to be followed by the premiere of Benjamin Hackbarth’s Acoustic Sweep. It will include performances from The Solem Quartet, Xiaoxiao Hou, Liam Carey, and the University’s Chamber Choir; before the Royal Philharmonic’s contemporary music group, Ensemble 10/10 perform Matthew Fairclough’s Radically Impure.
Dame Professor Janet Beer, University of Liverpool Vice-Chancellor, said: “We are extremely grateful to the alumni, donors and friends who have supported the University’s fundraising campaign to bring this new cultural landmark to the city. We are thrilled to be welcoming people to the Yoko Ono Lennon Centre and The Tung Auditorium.”
