Koussevitzky, Serge

orig. Sergey Aleksandrovich Kusevitsky

(born July 26, 1874, Vyshny Volochyok, Russia—died June 4, 1951, Boston, Mass., U.S.) Russian-born U.S. conductor. A virtuoso double-bass player, he was self-taught as a conductor. With his father-in-law's financial help, he debuted with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1908. In the following years he founded his own orchestra, which toured the Volga by riverboat. After leaving the Soviet Union in 1920, he established the Concerts Koussevitzky series in Paris before becoming permanent conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (1924–49). He gave about 100 premieres there, including commissioned works such as Igor Stravinsky's , and many works by U.S. composers, inspiring his musicians to legendary performances by the force of his personality. The Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, Mass., was established during his tenure in Boston.

Find more information on Koussevitzky, Serge. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on Koussevitzky, Serge.