The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) is a British classical music membership society based in London; the current chairman is John Gilhooly. It was established in February 1813 as the Philharmonic Society of London by a group of thirty reputable composers and musicians, including Johann Peter Salomon, Muzio Clementi, Henry Bishop, publisher and composer Francis "Théodore" Latour, pianist and Beethoven's friend, Charles Neate (1784—1877), William Dance (1755—1840), who served as the Society's first director and treasurer, and violinist Nicolas Mori (1796—1839). Since 1989, the RPS has been organizing the annual Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards.