▁was ▁the ▁Musical ▁Director ▁of ▁the ▁Nation ▁in ▁effect , ▁leading ▁the ▁festiv ities ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 6 ▁Cent enn ial ▁celebr ations ▁in ▁Philadelphia ▁and ▁the ▁dedic ation ▁of ▁the ▁Stat ue ▁of ▁Liber ty ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 6 . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 8 ▁he ▁started ▁the ▁tradition ▁of ▁seeing ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁Year ▁in ▁Times ▁Square . ▁▁▁ ▁Gil more ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁American ▁band ▁leader ▁to ▁feature ▁the ▁sa x oph one . ▁ ▁The ▁French ▁Gar de ▁Republic aine ▁military ▁band ▁performed ▁at ▁the ▁World ▁Peace ▁J ub ile e ▁and ▁Gil more ▁was ▁sufficiently ▁im pressed ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁year ▁he ▁re organ ized ▁his ▁band ▁to ▁include ▁the ▁instruments ▁that ▁the ▁French ▁band ▁introduced ▁to ▁American ▁ears . ▁ ▁The ▁new ▁band ▁included ▁a ▁sop rano - al to - ten or - bar it one ▁sa x oph one ▁section ▁featuring ▁Edward ▁A . ▁Le f eb re ▁( 1 8 3 4 - 1 9 1 1 ) ▁as ▁solo ist , ▁which ▁also ▁performed ▁as ▁a ▁quart et ▁that ▁became ▁the ▁arch et ype ▁of ▁the ▁standard ▁classical ▁sa x oph one ▁quart et . ▁ ▁The ▁promotion ▁by ▁Gil more ▁and ▁Le f eb re ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁production ▁of ▁American ▁sa x oph ones ▁and ▁a ▁shift ▁of ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁sa x oph one ▁world ▁from ▁France ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁around ▁the ▁turn ▁of ▁the ▁century . ▁ ▁In ▁