André Kostelanetz arranged classical pieces as easy listening numbers, bringing the music to a broad, middle-brow audience that wouldn't normally have listened to the music. In the process, he inadvertently invented easy listening music. Kostelanetz grasped the power of radio and he adapted his arrangements to fit the conventions of mass communications.
Kostelanetz began performing music in his childhood as a member of the Petrograd choir. He would eventually become leader of the choir. In 1922, he moved to the United States. Initially, he didn't find jobs as a conductor/arranger, so he had to perform as an accompanist. In 1924, Kostelanetz made his radio debut, conducting an orchestra.
In the '30s, he assembled a 65-piece orchestra, which happened to be the largest orchestra broadcast on radio, for the national show Andre Kostelanetz ...
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Album Highlights
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1999 | Music of Jerome Kern | ||
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2003 | The Grandma Moses Suite; Arlen: Blues Opera Suite |
