Browse Items (26 total)

The Buffalo Orpheus, a German singing society, was established in 1869 by former members of the Buffalo Liedertafel chorus.German musician John Lund came to Buffalo in 1887 and became an integral part of the musical community.  He conducted several…

Established in 1898, the Chromatic Club of Buffalo still exists today, and is our oldest active music organization. This event in 1903 was attended by Mary Seaton Kleinhans, an accomplished pianist and vocalist, and wife of the owner of Kleinhan's…

Lily Pons was a French-American operatic soprano and actress. As an opera singer she was particularly associated with the title roles in Lakmé and Lucia di Lammermoor, and frequently performed with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

Marian Anderson was an African-American contralto known for her rich and vibrant voice. Although she was banned from some stages due to racial discrimination, she performed in Buffalo several times in concerts presented by Zorah Berry. Berry was a…

Mai Davis Smith was the first professional impresario in Buffalo. She presented American opera singer Geraldine Farrar and famed pianist Olga Samaroff on local stages several times.

Johanna Gadski was a German soprano known for her powerful voice. She was one of many international talents whose local performance was arranged by Mai Davis Smith, the first professional impresario in Buffalo.

Austrian composer Gustav Mahler was one of the leading conductors of his generation, and this concert by the Philharmonic Society of New York was enthusiastically received by the Buffalo audience.  The performance was presented by Mai Davis Smith,…

Dame Nellie Melba GBE was an Australian operatic soprano, and one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian era.

The New York Symphony Orchestra and famed conductor Walter Damrosch performed many times in Buffalo.  Mai Davis Smith, the first professional impresario in Buffalo, arranged for several world-class orchestras to play at local concert halls.

John Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor known as "The March King."  Buffalo's Convention Hall, a former armory, was a fitting setting for a program that featured a military march composed by Sousa.