UT Dallas gets $10 million boost for concert hall planned to open in spring 2027

Richardson residents could have a new concert destination next spring, with another $10 million pledged to finish UT Dallas’s music and performance building.

The university announced the Harry W. Bass Jr. Foundation’s commitment Oct. 22. The 680-seat auditorium will carry the foundation’s name and anchor the second phase of the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum. Opening is planned for spring 2027; the announcement does not give a specific opening date or ticket schedule.

Public access is part of the plan. UT Dallas says its Bass School expects to stage more than 60 music events annually and draw more than 8,000 community visitors each year.

Inside the nearly 67,000-square-foot building, seating will surround the stage. The foundation previously gave $40 million in 2023, supporting the arts school and this phase of the project.

The university’s cultural complex already includes art museums that opened in its first phase in 2024.

Source: UT Dallas, Oct. 22, 2026. https://news.utdallas.edu/philanthropy/bass-foundation-performance-hall-2026/