Works Administration in addition to the $1 million from the Kleinhans estate. Kleinhans Music Hall opened on October 19, 1940 with an inaugural concert by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra under Maestro Franco Autori. In 2015, the seats of the auditorium were updated, and storage rooms were converted into an archive room to serve as an educational feature of the building's philanthropic history and architectural significance. Notable events On September 8, 1964, Robert F. Kennedy, who at the time was the Democratic candidate to become a United States Senator from New York, gave a speech at Kleinhans in front of a crowd of 6,000 people. On November 9, 1967, four months after the city was rocked by the Buffalo riot, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech at Kleinhans titled "The Future of Integration." In this speech, he 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." References External links Kleinhans Music Hall - Venue Website Information from the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Buffalo Music venues completed in 1940 Buildings and structures in Buffalo, New York Concert halls in New York (state) Music of Buffalo, New York Economy of Buffalo, New York Eero Saarinen structures National Historic Landmarks in New York (state) Tourist attractions in Buffalo, New York Modernist architecture in New York (state) National Register of Historic Places in Buffalo, New York Event venues on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) 1940 establishments in New York (state)