The Legacy of Serge Koussevitzky

Serge Koussevitzky (1874-1951)

2024 marks the 150th anniversary of Serge Koussevitzky’s birth and the 100th anniversary of his appointment as the BSO's first Music Director.

Koussevitzky at Tanglewood

Explore how Serge Koussevitzky's impact on Tanglewood is still felt today.

LISTEN: Radio Feature on Koussevitzky's Commercial Recordings

Produced by Tom Godell

LISTEN: From the BSO Radio Archives: Serge Koussevitzky in Concert

Over the next eight weeks, as part of the BSO’s celebration of Serge Koussevitzky’s 150th birthday and the 100th anniversary of his appointment as the orchestra’s ninth Music Director, we’ll be making available for the first time a selection of performances drawn from the archive of concert broadcast recordings.

WATCH: Serge Koussevitzky: Champion of American Music

Serge Koussevitzky: Champion of American Music explores Koussevitzky’s advocacy of American music while at the helm of the BSO, which was unsurpassed by any other prominent conductor. 

WATCH: “Music Speaks to Every Heart”: Koussevitzky’s War Time Message, Christmas 1943

Music Speaks to Every Heart illuminates BSO conductor Serge Koussevitzky's vision for classical music's place amid the tragedy of a world war. 

A Quilt of Connections: Pre-Revolutionary Artistic Circles in Russia

The Koussevitsky Quilt features signatures from elite Russian artists, composers, authors, painters, and important industrialists who supported the arts.

Most Thrilling: A Student View of the Inaugural Class of the Tanglewood Music Center

In 1940, Koussevitzky's Music Center welcomed its first class of students to the Tanglewood grounds. Take a unique peek into the day-to-day intensity of practicing, socializing, and soaking in music during that first summer of Koussevitzky's grand experiment.