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Kleinhans' Gift to Buffalo debuts Monday night on WNED PBS

Kleinhans Music Hall stage, as seen from the upper balcony
WNED PBS
Kleinhans Music Hall stage, as seen from the upper balcony

Kleinhans’ Gift to Buffalo shares the story of how a generous gift from Ed and Mary Kleinhans, whose love of music, Buffalo, and each other, led to the building of a world-class concert hall.

"This is a really interesting story about our Buffalo history and about two specific people in it: Ed and Mary Kleinhans," says Lynne Bader, Executive Producer at WNED PBS

"...They both really loved music. And they realized Buffalo, as great a city as it was, didn't have a proper place to enjoy music. So this (hall) came from a gift, the estate of the both of them... it really is a love story about these two people, but also their love of Buffalo," Bader says

The program-which airs Monday at 9 on WNED PBS, Buffalo Toronto Public Media's television station — talks with Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra members about the famed acoustics of the building, but also with others who remember it as Buffalo's premier music stage that hosted the likes of Bob Dylan and The Grateful Dead.

Hear from historians, musicians, architectural scholars, and community members who have connections to the building. Learn about the design, the architect, and how this concert hall and civic auditorium has become a community asset where family is celebrated and memories are made. 

Leading up to the premiere we invite you to
Watch the program trailer, pore over the recollections of milestone events Western New Yorkers attended at Kleinhans, watch an extended interview to learn more about the architecture, and explore Kleinhans Music Hall e with 360° interactive videos

You can also learn more about how Kleinhans came to be, and teachers can take advantage oflesson plans connected to the documentary for use in their classrooms.

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