Special Collections Finding Aids

Rochester Philharmonic Society Collection - Ephemera

Accession: SC1998.19

Location: M2A 4,1

Size: .25 feet

Biography: The Rochester Philharmonic Society was founded on October 3, 1865 and thereafter sponsored the first concerted attempt to found an orchestra in Rochester. A short-lived Harmonic Society orchestra had operated in the 1850's, but it was apparently a short-lived and lacked any formal organization for support. The Society soon employed Henri Appy, a notable Belgian violinist who had come to America in the entourage of Jenny Lind, to serve as its conductor. The orchestra disbanded in the early or mid 1880's. It has not connection with the current Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. See Richard Lansing, "Music in Rochester," RHS publications v.2, p.157.

Provenance: unknown, possibly related to Richard Lansing Collection.

Scope and Content: The collection respresents an apparently very nearly complete set of programs of the concerts of the early Rochester Philharmonic Society Orchestra. The material is important for demonstrating the development of a musical public in Rochester. This period is of particular interest for possible interconnections with the Theodore Thomas Orchestra, which visited Rochester regularly from 1869 until the 1890's. The personnel lists of the orchestra also give important information as to professional and amateur musicians in the city.

Associations: Watanabe Special Collections also holds the minute book of the Society for the period Oct. 1873 through Dec. 1877, which was a gift of Mrs. Ludwig Schenck [Archive ML 28.3 .R67]. Of related interest are the Ludwig Schenck, Hermann Dossenbach Collections, and Richard Lansing Collections.

Restrictions: none

Series: 1

Series Name: Ephemera

Series Description: 1866-1881, ordered chronologically