About
A prominent conductor of Russian music who led the top orchestras in the U.S., including the Metropolitan Opera and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Before Fame
Listening to the music of composer Sergei Rachmaninoff inspired him to devote himself to conduct Rachmaninoff's music.
Trivia
He put his own stamp on many of the works he conducted: adding lyrics to Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, and de-emphasizing elements of Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov.
Family Life
He was born in Hartford, Connecticut and his father was a Russian Orthodox priest who first introduced him to classical music.
Associated With
Leopold Stokowski was another prominent orchestra conductor.
