Celebrate Gartner Auditorium's Reopening

The Cleveland Museum of Art is now just a little more than a month away from reaching another exciting milestone in our building expansion and renovation project. In February, we’ll celebrate the reopening of Gartner Auditorium, ushering in a new era for our VIVA! & Gala performing arts series.

[1]Those who want the first look and listen in the beautifully refurbished hall, redesigned by nationally recognized Cleveland-based architects Westlake Reed Leskosky in collaboration with leading acoustician Paul Scarbrough, will want to mark their calendars for our Gartner reopening bash on Sunday, February 28.

We’ve planned a stylish evening of elegant music and sophisticated reverie with Max Raabe & Palast Orchester [2]as VIVA! & Gala returns to the museum following four seasons at venues around town. This black-tie big band plays note-perfect renditions of European jazz from the 1920s and 1930s. Arrive at 6:00 p.m. for cocktails and appetizers; the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are limited and going very quickly, with registration available online [3].

Then, we’ll keep the party going throughout March and April with eight weeks of free performances this spring. The Opening Nights Festival [4], running March 12 through April 30, features some of the finest of Cleveland’s diverse talent pool. The festival also allows Clevelanders to experience first-hand the capabilities of the city’s newest performing arts venue, through a diverse mix of high-caliber instrumental, dance, and vocal artists.

Highlights of the festival include performances by members of the Cleveland Orchestra, the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, OperaCleveland Chorus, Roberto Ocasio Latin Jazz Project, and Harmonia. The festival also includes a screening of the Oscar-winning Harrison Ford movie Raiders of the Lost Ark and the vocal stylings of local singer/songwriter Baby Dee, one of the city’s best known alt-rock performers.

Presenting sponsor is KeyBank. Supporting sponsors include Donley’s, The Musart Society, and Westlake Reed Leskosky.

We’ll share more details about individual performers soon.