Kleinhans Music Hall, home of the
Buffalo Philharmonic OrchestraThe Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is an American orchestra located in Buffalo, New York. Its primary performing venue is Kleinhans Music Hall, which is a National Historic Landmark. Its regular concert season features gala concerts, classics programming of core repertoire, Pops concerts,...
, was built in the late 1930s and opened October 1940. It is located on Symphony Circle. The music hall was built as a part of the last will and testament of Edward L. and Mary Seaton Kleinhans, owners of the
KleinhansKleinhans, formally The Kleinhans Company, was a high-end mens clothing store located in Buffalo, New York. Edward Kleinhans and his brother Horace opened the store in 1893, and shortly after located in the Brisbane Building at Main and Clinton Streets in Downtown Buffalo. The store would...
mens clothing store. The couple left close to 1 million dollars for the music hall's construction. The building was designed by
Eliel SaarinenGottlieb Eliel Saarinen was a Finnish architect who became famous for his art nouveau buildings in the early years of the 20th century....
with his son,
Eero SaarinenEero Saarinen was a Finnish American architect and product designer of the 20th century famous for varying his style according to the demands of the project : simple, sweeping, arching structural curves or machine-like rationalism.- Biography :Eero Saarinen, who was born in Hvitträsk,...
and "was recognized as one of the greatest concert halls ever built in the United States".
Kleinhans Music Hall, home of the
Buffalo Philharmonic OrchestraThe Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is an American orchestra located in Buffalo, New York. Its primary performing venue is Kleinhans Music Hall, which is a National Historic Landmark. Its regular concert season features gala concerts, classics programming of core repertoire, Pops concerts,...
, was built in the late 1930s and opened October 1940. It is located on Symphony Circle. The music hall was built as a part of the last will and testament of Edward L. and Mary Seaton Kleinhans, owners of the
KleinhansKleinhans, formally The Kleinhans Company, was a high-end mens clothing store located in Buffalo, New York. Edward Kleinhans and his brother Horace opened the store in 1893, and shortly after located in the Brisbane Building at Main and Clinton Streets in Downtown Buffalo. The store would...
mens clothing store. The couple left close to 1 million dollars for the music hall's construction. The building was designed by
Eliel SaarinenGottlieb Eliel Saarinen was a Finnish architect who became famous for his art nouveau buildings in the early years of the 20th century....
with his son,
Eero SaarinenEero Saarinen was a Finnish American architect and product designer of the 20th century famous for varying his style according to the demands of the project : simple, sweeping, arching structural curves or machine-like rationalism.- Biography :Eero Saarinen, who was born in Hvitträsk,...
and "was recognized as one of the greatest concert halls ever built in the United States". It was declared a
National Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance. All NHLs are listed in the National Register of Historic Places...
in 1989.
History
In 1934, when it was determined a music hall was to be built, it was assumed the much experienced and local architect,
Edward B. GreenE. B. Green was a major American architect from New York State. He was born in Utica, NY. He attended Cornell University, and moved to Buffalo, NY in 1881, where he was active through about 1930...
would get the job. In 1935, Green submitted a neoclassical design combining the styles of
Symphony HallSymphony Hall is a concert hall located at 301 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by McKim, Mead and White, it was built in 1900 for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which continues to make the hall its home...
in Boston and
Severance HallSeverance Hall is a concert hall located in the University Circle district of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The hall has been the home of the Cleveland Orchestra since its opening on February 5, 1931.-History:...
in Cleveland. Green planned to have the hall attached to the Museum of Science. It was later decided the hall would be constructed at the site of Truman Avery's mansion (to be demolished) on the circle at Richmond and Porter Avenues (known as Symphony Circle).
George F. Rand, the chairman of the Buffalo Foundation (the Kleinhans' executors), liked the works of local architects and brothers, F.J. and William Kidd. (The Kidd brothers designed Buffalo's Rand Building, built in 1929 and located at Lafayette Square). In May 1938, the brothers were hired as architects for the music hall. However, their designs were criticized by Esther Link who had been shown the Kidd drawings by Buffalo Foundation lawyer, Edward P. Letchworth. Link, without any formal architectural education, was a high school music teacher who travelled Europe and had a strong background with architects and artists. She was an admirer of architect Eliel Saarinen particularly for his design of the central railroad terminal in Helsinki. In July 1938, upon Letchworth's request, Link drafted a letter detailing her passion for Saarinen's work and the future of Kleinhans music hall. The Buffalo Foundation agreed to offer Saarinen the position of consultant. Saarinen declined. Letchworth did not want to undermine Rand and the Kidd brothers. In September 1938, Letchworth met with Saarinen and his son Eero, and the Kidd Firm. They all agreed that Saarinen would be "designing architect" while Kidd would oversee the project. Saarinen quickly submitted his design one month later.
Four months after the city was rocked by the Buffalo riot, on November 10, 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King visited Kleinhan's and in a speech titled "The Future of Integration" before about 2,500 persons and sponsored by the Graduate Student Association at the University of Buffalo proclaimed: "We are moving toward the day when we will judge a man by his character and ability instead of by the color of his skin."
External links