Serge Koussevitzky archive
Contributors: Koussevitzky, Olga
Published: 1920
Language: mul
Number of pages: 13000
Subjects: Correspondence; Sources; Musicians; Music; Archives
Other titles: Koussevitzky archive
Description: The archive is a collection of correspondence, personal and business papers, photographs, and other materials which document some of the most significant aspects of twentieth-century music. Through his work as a conductor and publisher, and his efforts to commission new musical works, Koussevitzky maintained deep ties with many of the finest composers and musicians of the day. These figures are represented in their personal and professional affiliations with the conductor. In addition to serving as a record of Koussevitzky's life and career, the collection extensively chronicles periods in the history of organizations such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Berkshire Music Center, the Koussevitzky Music Foundation, and the American International Music Fund. Material in the collection dates from Koussevitzky's years in his native Russia. The bulk of the collection dates from 1924 to 1951; it also contains material created after Koussevitzky's death, reflecting his widow's continuing work with various organizations and projects. Musical compositions commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky are part of the Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation Collection, and are shelved in ML30.3c, ML30.3c2, ML30.3c3, and ML30.3e2.
Notes: Open to research.

Access Advisory: Not all materials in this collection may be readily accessible; please request accessibility information well in advance of your visit http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.music/perform.contact

Serge Koussevitzky Archive, Music Division, Library of Congress.

Restrictions apply concerning the use, photoduplication, or publication of items in this collection. Consult a reference librarian in the Music Division for information concerning these restrictions.

Gift; Olga Koussevitzky; 1960.

Bequest; Olga Koussevitzky; 1978.

Serge Koussevitzky, conductor and double bassist, was born July 26, 1874, in Vishniy Volochek. Koussevitzky founded the publishing house Editions russes de musique in 1909 which issued music by Scriabin, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and Rachmaninoff. He left Russia in 1920 for Berlin and then Paris, where he founded the Concerts Koussevitzky (1921-1929), with which he performed new music. He was conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1924 to 1949 from which position he championed the music of American composers. Koussevitzky died in Boston on June 4, 1951.

Finding aid available in the Library of Congress Performing Arts Reading Room and at http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.music/eadmus.mu002008

The materials had been maintained at one time by Mrs. Koussevitzky in the Koussevitzky's home in Lenox, Mass., and in an apartment in New York.