Cleveland Orchestra Receives $10 Million Gift for Blossom Music Center

Provided by the Milton and Tamar Maltz Family Foundation, the gift will support the concert venue’s renovations and future developments

The summer home of Ohio’s Cleveland Orchestra (CO), the Blossom Music Center has hosted its Blossom Music Festival alongside the orchestra since its opening in 1968.

Following significant renovations from 2003, the Blossom Music Center — located at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park amidst over 800 acres of land — comprises 5,700 seats in the pavilion with another 13,500 spaces on the lawn.

The $10 million gift from the Milton and Tamar Maltz Family Foundation will fund the Center’s infrastructure improvements and operating needs, such as new seating and VIP box upgrades, lighting, signage, and rideshare parking spaces. The gift will also help develop the venue’s long-term strategic plan. 

The Maltz family has supported CO for over a decade, with past gifts including $20 million for the Center for Future Audiences program addressing economic and geographic barriers to attending the orchestra’s concerts.

“Blossom Music Center is unique with very few comparable venues across the country,” said Milton Maltz. “We are not just pleased to provide this gift to help maintain Blossom, but we are also excited that it will enable the orchestra to take the next step in planning for its future transformation into an even more exceptional asset for Northeast Ohio.”

“We are extremely grateful for Milton and Tamar Maltz’s incredible gift,” stated CO’s president and CEO André Gremillet. “Blossom Music Center plays an integral role in the Cleveland Orchestra’s history and provides a welcoming environment for music lovers of all ages,” Gremillet continued. 

“Through this gift, that tradition will continue as we work to enhance this one-of-a-kind venue to exceed the expectations of our guests and expand to new audiences.”