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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.

The child actress known as "Corinne" and her mother, Jennie Kimball, starred in this production. H.R. Jacobs of Albany managed theaters in Buffalo and several American cities.

Harold Bauer and Ossip Gabrilowitsch were famous pianists who played solo in Buffalo several times.  Gabrilowitsch has another Buffalo connection--he married Mark Twain's daughter Clara Clemens, a singer.  He also became good friends with Mai Davis…

American opera singer Geraldine Farrar starred in Carmen on stage, and later in the silent movie version. This production was presented by Louise Michael and Genevieve Kraft, successful Buffalo impresarios.

Russian-American violinist Jascha Heifetz is known as one of the greatest violinists of all time. Mai Davis Smith, the first professional impresario in Buffalo, engaged him to play here when he was still a teenager.

John McCormack was a celebrated Irish tenor. This concert was presented by the Buffalo Musical Foundation, an organization established by Mai Davis Smith and continued by her partner, Marian De Forest.