The CLEVELAND MOZART SOCIETY was one of the first musical organizations in Cleveland. The society, a choral group, was established in 1837 by TRUMAN P. HANDY. Its goal, according to the 1837 Cleveland and Ohio City Directory, was the "promotion of Musical Science and the cultivation of a refined taste in its members, and in the community." It did so by promoting concerts in such venues as the Seneca St. Baptist and Old Stone churches, and encouraging the development of singing talent among Cleveland's adults. In 1838 the society began to broaden its scope when it established an instrumental group. It also opened a singing school and provided musical education for children. In its later years the society experienced financial problems and began to charge for its once-free concerts. Although no specific date is given for the society's demise, it did not survive the Civil War.
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