Background
Kusevitskii, Sergei was born on July 26, 1874 in Vyshnii Volochek.
conductor Double-bass player musical authority
Kusevitskii, Sergei was born on July 26, 1874 in Vyshnii Volochek.
Studied conducting under K.Muk and F.Weingartner. Graduated from the Music and Drama School of the Moscow Philharmonic Society, 1894, in the double-bass class. Studied conducting under K.Muk and F.Weingartner.
Taught there from 1901. Virtuoso double-bass player who gave concerts all over Russia and abroad. From 1905, lived in Berlin.
In 1909, founded in Berlin the Rossiiskoe Muzykal’noe Izdatel’stvo (the Russian Music Publishing House), in order to promote Russian composers and Russian music. In 1909, founded the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, with which he toured all over Russia. Chief conductor of the State Symphony Orchestra (formerly the Imperial Symphony Orchestra), Petrograd, 1917-1920.
In 1920, emigrated. Settled in the USA. Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, 192449. Promoted and performed Russian music such as the 4th Symphony by Prokof ev, the Symphony of Psalms by Stravinskii, etc. First performer in the USA of Shostakovich’s 9th Symphony, and Prokofiev's 5th.
Mentor of the young Leonard Bernstein and other talented musicians.