Arthur Fiedler

Easily the most popular conductor of his era, Arthur Fiedler was classical music's greatest ambassador since Mozart; without regard to cultural and economic lines, he promoted symphonic music for the enjoyment and appreciation of all listeners, programming pieces by everyone from Pachelbel to Gershwin to The Beatles. Born December 17, 1894 in Boston, Massachusetts, Fiedler was the son of a violinist in The Boston Symphony Orchestra; at the age of 15, he traveled to Berlin to study under the virtuoso Willy Hess, and while there also explored chamber music and conducting, in the process gaining an intimate knowledge of the Western European classical tradition. By 1915, Fiedler was back in the U.S., signing on to The Boston Symphony as a violinist; however, his own desires to conduct prompted him to form the Arthur Fiedler Sinfonietta, a tiny orchestra comprising other top Bso players.



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