With the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, Buffalo's population began to expand rapidly. Sheppard's Music Store opened only two years later to a welcoming city. Soon choral and band concert series were established, and by the 1830s, the Christy Minstrels had performed to sold-out houses in Buffalo. By mid-century, Buffalo audiences supported the concerts of Jenny Lind, the "Swedish Nightingale," and the resounding voices of several singing societies involving hundreds, sometimes thousands of voices. From 1870, visiting orchestras were invited to perform in Buffalo’s music halls.
        Following the Pan-American Exposition in 1901, the city blossomed into its golden age, attracting the finest international performers and conductors of the era. By 1935, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra was incorporated, followed by the dedication in 1940 of Kleinhans Music Hall, a National Landmark. The Department of Music at the University of Buffalo was established by Cameron Baird in 1952.
        Buffalo was fertile ground for an active vaudeville and cabaret history and the successful Colored Musicians Club, which flourished from the late 1800s through the Great Depression. Many entertainers emerged during those years, inspiring the saying, "If you can’t make it in Buffalo, you can’t make it anywhere!"