Russian-born conductor, composer and double-bassist Serge Koussevitzky was born on this day in 1874.
Maestro Koussevitsky served as Music Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1924 to 1949 – and premiered a number of cornerstone orchestral works including: Ravel's orchestration of 'Pictures at an Exhibition', Bartok's 'Concerto for Orchestra', Prokofiev's 1st Violin Concerto, Gershwin's 2nd 'Rhapsody' – and Prokofiev's 2nd and 4th Symphonies.