Reference has been made in a previous chapter to the festival given by Andrew Adgate's classes in May, 1786, in Philadelphia, in which a chorus of two hundred and thirty voices and an orchestra of fifty took part. This undoubtedly was America's first pretentious orchestra. The festival was suggested by the Handel Commemoration Concerts given in Westminster Abbey in May and June of 1784.
Under the direction of Benjamin Carr, George Gillingham and others, a concert in which amateurs and professionals took part was given at Oeller's Hotel, Philadelphia, on April 8, 1794. This was the first of a series of six subscription concerts, taking place weekly, in which an orchestra was the chief feature of entertainment. It is interesting to note that in this particular concert the novelty was the playing by the full orchestra of Kotzwara's " Battle of Prague," a composition which enjoyed unrivaled popularity until the middle of the Nineteenth Century, when it gave place to the " Maiden's Prayer."
In 1790 an orchestra of ten was engaged regularly in giving open-air concerts in " Gray's Gardens," Philadelphia. This orchestra offered rather a high standard of music and seems to have been well appreciated. Here appeared a violin prodigy in the ten-year-old Louis De Duport, who had per-formed before the Royal family in France. The youthful violinist evidently was in much demand, for his name appears on many concert programs both in Charleston and in Baltimore
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An earlier concert (1764) was thus advertised: “For the benefit of Mr. Forrage and others , assistant performers at the Subscription Concerts in this city, on Monday, [December] 31st instant, at the Assembly Room on Lodge Alley will be performed A Concert of Music, consisting of a variety of the most celebrated pieces now in taste, in which will be introduced the famous Armonica or Musical Glassees so much admired  fro the Sweetness and Delicacy of its tone. …
The group of the 1764 Subscription Concerts probably included Francis Hopkinson at the harpsichord; James Bremner, Stephen Forrage, John Schneider, and Governor John Penn on stringed instruments, George d’Eissenburg and Ernst Barnard, German Flutes.  John Schneider also played the horn.
[Robert A. Gerson, Music in Philadelphia, Theodore Presser, Co., Philadelphia, 1940, pp.20, 25, quoting Sonneck, 1905 and 1907]

The “Subscription Concerts” of which Francis Hopkinson seems to have been the manager probably were not interspersed with choral music, but would best be classified, to use a modern term, as soirées of chamber-music. The works which called for the largest number of performers certainly were the Concerti Grossi, concertos for several solo-instruments with orchestra-accompaniment.  To play these, not more than a dozen musicians were required, and this number could easily have been recruited amongst the gentlemen-amateurs and professional musicians of Philadelphia.  Extracting the names and their specialty from the newspaper advertisements we might from the following idea of the orchestra:
Francis Hopkinson would preside at the harpsichord. The Strings would be represented by James Bremner, Stephen Forrage, John Schneider, Governor John Penn, and two or three other amateurs. When occasion called for it, John Schneider would play the French horn,…
[Sonneck, 1907, pp. 69-70; quoting his own (verbatim) Francis Hopkinson and James Lyon, 1905, p. 45]

That Francis Hopkinson’s part in laying the foundations of a concert life in Philadelphia has not been exaggerated may be inferred from the fact that during the two years of his sojourn in England and through James Bremner was residing at Philadelphia, no concerts are to be traced there, that is to say in 1766 and 1767.  Indeed the concert life continued to be at a very low ebb until late in 1769 when we again notice an upwards tendency, due mostly to
    “John Gualdo, Wine Merchant from Italy, but late from London…[who] opened a store in Walnut Street, between Second and Front Streets.. in August 1767.”
…We read in the Pa. Chronicle, Oct. 1 – 8, 1770:
    To the Public
By particular desire, on Friday, (being the 12th of October) a concert of music will be directed by Mr. Gualdo, in which the following piceces will be performed in two acts…. Overture with Violins, German Flutes, French Horns, etc. -
 [Sonneck, 1907, pp.70 and 74]

[Following the Revolution, the two winter seasons of concerts commencing on October 19, 1786 and ending on March 13, 1788 (a total of  21 concerts) did not include any solos for French horn. (See Sonneck, 1907, pp 81-87).] 
Apparently the City Concert was then discontinued as no further reference to it is made until the attempted revival in 1792….If the City Concert was not continued in the winter of 1793 this was probably less due to public indifference than to the after-effects of the terrible yellow fever epidemic which raged at Philadelphia during the year 1793…. The eight programs which show a somewhat stronger leaning towards chamber music than those of the preceding series were these…
Fourth Concert, Jan. 12, 1793
…
Quartetto on the French Horn, - Pelissier [Note 1 :…Possibly identical with the Pelissier of whom the Cons. Nat. at Paris possesses ‘Amusements variés avec accomp. De musette’.]
[Sonneck, 1907, p. 87- 90] 

In 1796 [Raynor] Taylor staged a benefit concert at Oellers’ Hotel on April  twenty-first.  The small band or concertino  consisted of [12 musicians including]  Messrs. Gray and Homman [horns]
[Gerson, 1940, p. 42]

Victor Pellisier
Pelliser; Composer and Horn Player; a Frenchman by birth and a worthy member of Society.  For many years he was composer for the New York and Philadelphia theatres, at different periods, and could all his works be collected, he would be found a voluminous author.  He composed many operas, musical farces and pantomimes, together with a multitude of orchestra accompaniments, occasional songs, odes, chorusses, dances, &c. &c. in all of which he exhibited very respectable talents, displaying variety of thought and readiness of invention, with the full knowledge of all the powers of an orchestra.
His performance on the Horn, before his faculties gave way by infirmity and increased years, was truly great.  He was a fine concerto player, and has been heard to execute the principal part in a quartette upon an instrument which, except in the hands of a great master, is certainly very confined in its scale.
[Euterpeiad, vol. III, no. 3 ( 27 April 1822), p. 18]

Mr. Levischesky, a Polander, formerly in the suit of Koskiusko, was a very great Horn player and had the astonishing facility of producing two tones at once, by singing a subject and at the same time blowing and accompanyment on the Horn. He also excelled on the Spanish Guitar and sung Italian airs with superior taste and expression. About this time, another very fine Horn player appeared, a Monsieur Rossier. Neither of these gentlemen remained long in America. 
[Euterpeiad, vol. III, no. 3 ( 27 April 1822), p. 18]

Jacques Domnich
[Henri] Domnich had two brothers, Jacques and Arnold, both virtuosi on the horn. The first brother [Jacques Domnich] who was the eldest, went to America and was living in Philadelphia in 1806;
[François Joseph Fétis, Biographie Universelle des Musiciens, Firmin Didot Frères
, Paris, second edition, 1862, Tome 3, p.36: “Domnich a en deux frères, Jacques et Arnold, tous deux virtuoses sur le cor. Le premier, qui était son ainé, est passé en Amérique et vivait à Philadelphie en 1806;” translated in Coar, 1952, p. 144.]

The Musical Fund Society
Established in 1820, consists of Professors of Music and Amateurs. The officers of the society are a president, vice-president, treasurer, secretary, 12 managers of the Fund, and 12 directors of the Music. The stated annual meeting is held on the 1st Tuesday of May. The stated meetings of the joint board of officers are held on the 1st Tuesdays in January, April, July and October.  The board of managers hold a stated meeting on the last Tuesday of every month.
The objects of the society are to relieve distressed professors of Music, and to advance the art itself.  The board of directors of Music consists of a chairman, secretary, 4 curators, 3 conductors of vocal and 3 of instrumental music. Concerts are given one or two annually publicly, for the benefit of the fund, and more if by a special resolution of the society at large.  The election of members is confined to the board of officers. The number of female professional members is limited to 12.  Professors of Music are considered to be those who make the art to be their occupation, and at least in part depend upon it for subsistence.  A professional member must be of good moral character, capable of earning a subsistence by the profession, and a resident of Philadelphia. Makers of musical instruments, engravers and vendors of music, and such amateurs as are distinguished for their skill in music, and whose services may be judged important to the society, are admitted into the class of professional members.  The initiation fee of a professional member is $3 and $5 annual contribution, payable quarterly.  The payment of $50 exempts a professional member from all future  contributions.  The annual contribution of an amateur is $5, and the payment of $25 exempts him from all further annual contributions.  The monied benefits arising from the Musical Fund, exclusive of expences, are confined to professional members, who when proper objects, are entitled each to a weekly allowance (not as a charity but as a right) of a sum not exceeding $5 weekly; a widow may be allowed $3, and each child $1 per week - $30 are allowed the widow of a professor for his funeral expences - a sum not exceeding  $20 for the funeral expences of his widow - $10 for the funeral expences of any member of his family deceased, if he be in needful circumstances.  To be entitled to the benefits of the Fund requires three years membership. Practising  Concerts are to be held on the 1st and 3d Thursdays of January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December, at 8 P.M.
The society have purchased a spacious lot in Locust street above Washington Square, whereon they have caused to be erected a large and commodious brick building 60 feet by 100, wherein future they will conduct the concerns of the institution. 

The Society’s first concert was held April 24, 1821 and repeated on the following May 8.  The program was as follows:
Grand Sinfonia in E by Romberg
Vocal duet, "The Butterfly"
Concerto for Violoncello from B. Romberg's Concerto in D, performed by Mr. Gilles followed by an Air with Variations, composed by Mr. Gilles
Vocal Air, "Donald"
Overture Dell opera Trancred by Rossini
Glee and Chorus "Awake Aeolian Lyre,” with orchestra accompaniment by B. Carr
Concerto Violin by Rode, performed by Mr. Hupfeld
Polacca "Trifler, Forbear" by Bishop
Grand Sinfonia in C by Beethoven
New Glee  and Chorus sequel to the "Red Cross Knight" by Dr. Clarke with orchestra accompaniments by B. Carr
Overture de l'opera Les Deux Aveugles de Toléde by Méhul
[Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia, Records]

Philadelphia Philharmonic (April 1, 1856) concert
New American opera Troupe
[Dwight’s Journal, IX, 2  (12 April 1856) p. 15]

Philadelphia – New orchestra with some old Germania members.
[Dwight’s Journal, IX, 26  (27 September 1856) p. 207, quoting Fitzgerald’s City Item]

The opening of Philadelphia’s famous opera house, The Academy of Music, with its lure of fully staged operatic pageantry seduced audiences away from the Musical Fund Society Concerts.
Philadelphia -  The City Item says: The first public rehearsal of he Germania Orchestra took place on Saturday afternoon at the Music Fund Hall, and we are happy to say that it was largely attended by the best people of our city, and that the music was listened to with care, the rehearsal being regarded as concert, rather as a conversazione. The selection of music was of a poplular character and the excellence of the orchesra was well displayed by the varied character of the pieces chosen. The members are nearly all solo performers, and inspired by a true love and appreciation of the art, they give correct, feeling interpretation of the music they play… the celebrated Terzetto from Attila, was played with much expression by the first Horn, Bassoon, and Clarinet. [Also performed: overtures to Zampa, Martha, a waltz by Lanner and Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore.]
[Dwight’s Journal, X, 12  (20 December 1856) p. 94]