When the period of the great visiting virtuosi, Jenny Lind, Henriette Sontag, Vieuxtemps, Wilhelmj, Ole Bull, Sivori, Malibran, Lagrange, Alboni, Hensler, Gottschalk and others arrived, the excitement over their first appearances caused a decrease in interest in home talent and achievements, and the activities of the Musical Fund Society were maintained with less and less enthusiasm, until finally the Academy and then the orchestra were abandoned. Another reason for this decline was the growing popularity of opera, to the detriment of personal musical effort by Philadelphians. During the early years of the nineteenth century, as in the preceding one, Philadelphia was the abiding place of a number of excellent and hard working musicians. These carried on the labors of their predecessors by teaching the young, leading choirs and guiding the musical opinion of the city. Little recognition has been given these men, who included among their number, Alexander Reinagle, George Shetky, Benjamin Carr, Benjamin Cross, Raynor Taylor, Thomas Loud, Charles P. Hupfeldt, and later Charles Jarvis and his son, Charles J. Jarvis. In our own time among the many musicians who have fostered music here by their own example and by training others, four should be particularly mentioned: Dr. Hugh A. Clarke, for fifty years Professor of Music at the University of Pennsylvania, whose sway has been felt through the many students who have studied under him; Wm. W. Gilchrist, his pupil; Michael H. Cross, and Richard Zeckwer. These men wielded so potent an influence over music students and music lovers, that Philadelphians owe them a heavy debt. They received the musical laying on of hands and transmitted the traditions that have existed here for two hundred years. The important undertaking of the middle of the century was the building of the American Academy of Music. With the growth of population and the increasing number of visiting opera companies, a demand arose for an opera house of adequate size and equipment. In 1852 the project was launched and a Charter obtained, but the amount of money needed, $400,000, was difficult to procure, and it was not until January 26th, 1857, that the Academy was opened with a grand ball. This eclipsed in size and brilliance any assemblage hitherto seen in Philadelphia, and was followed on February 25th, by the first performance of opera in the new house. “Il Trovatore” was presented with Gazzaniga, Aldini, Brignoli and Amodio, and this marked the beginning of the splendid career of the Academy of Music. Gradually other musical events were transferred to the Academy, which became, and still remains, the musical centre of the city. Now the days of modern orchestral development are at hand. The first visiting orchestra of note was the Steiermärkisches Orchestra, of twenty musicians, under the leadership of Henri Riha, which came from Germany in 1838.