Music and Musicians at the Pan-American Exposition

Personal Accounts and Stories

	Nina Morgana sang at the Pan-American Exposition as a nine-year old child. She later went on to a successful singing career at the Metropolitan Opera. Her story, with news clippings from 1901.
.	Benita Gray visited the Pan-American Exposition two times. Her second visit included a performance during the Welsh Day choral competition as a member of the Philharmonic Society of Utica. Her diary account contains numerous references to places and events at the Exposition and in the Buffalo area
.	Victor Herbert had close friends in Buffalo (see below) well before the Pan-American Exposition. Selections from his letters about the Exposition reveal concerns about the financial well-being of the Exposition.
	Henry Toepfer, Buffalo violinist, was friends with both Victor Herbert and John Lund (1859-1925; sometimes spelled Lunt). Herbert conducted the Pittsburgh Orchestra at the Exposition; Lund conducted the Pan-American Orchestra, made up of fifty musicians from the New York Philharmonic and Boston Symphony Orchestra. Toepfer was instrumental in getting the Herbert composition, Panamericana submitted to the Exposition music committee. As a result, Panamericana won the award for composition at the Exposition.
	John Philip Sousa and his band were at the Pan-American Exposition June 10-July 7. Sousa played a part in establishing a nightly ritual at the Exposition. However, his account of the events vary from those found in the Final Report of the Pan-American Exposition Company.

Last updated: 23 March 2006 http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/exhibits/
panam/ music/personal/personal.html