Buffalo, NY

Buffalo's Kleinhans Music Hall opened on 12 October 1940 with a concert by the Buffalo Philharmonic under Franco Autori. The project grew from a bequest by Edward and Mary Seaton Kleinhans, supplemented by Public Works Administration funding. Eliel and Eero Saarinen worked with local architects F. J. and W. A. Kidd on the building, whose flowing forms are often associated with the shape of a string instrument. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989, the hall remains an important expression of civic support for music in Buffalo. Its history brings together private philanthropy, public investment and architectural attention to the experience of performance.