At the beginning of the 1880s, America had no symphony orchestra to equal the great European ensembles. Major Henry Lee Higginson would permanently change that situation by creating the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), which not only set musical standards and became a model for other American orchestras but demonstrated that large audiences could be attracted to what was considered "elitist" culture.

The New York Philharmonic, the nation's oldest orchestra in 1880, had been organized some 40 years earlier. It offered only six concerts and six public rehearsals a season. Players elected conductors and sent last minute substitutes for concerts if more lucrative engagements became available. In fairness to the players, membership dues and fines levied on absentees at concerts served as the orchestra's financial mainstays. Earnings from ticket sales were appallingly low. In 1878, each musician earned only $17.50; in 1886, a relatively good year, each earned...