Partnering with the Regency architect John Nash to erect the first purpose-built orchestral concert hall in Britain – the Argyll Rooms, Regent Street – entrepreneurial members of the Philharmonic Society invested in prime real estate for an even grander vision: to create an all-embracing national music institution akin to the Royal Academy of Arts, exhibiting top performances, stimulating new works, fostering research, publishing music and training young players.

Read Dr Leanne Langley's article in the British Library Electronic Journal