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Arthur Fiedler was a bona fide superstar of classical music, the kind ofcharacter whose death is mourned around the world -- as indeed his was. Bornin 1894 to Austrian parents, Fiedler's father was a violin player with theBoston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) and his mother was a gifted pianist. It wasonly a matter of time before the young Fiedler joined the BSO himself in1915. Although he joined as a violinist, Fiedler was a musical polyglot -- healso played viola, percussion, organ and piano for the symphony. A few yearslater, he formed the acclaimed Boston Sinfonietta and began giving his firstfree concerts. In 1930, Fiedler was asked to lead the Boston Pops Orchestra,and the rest is history. His musical adventurousness and his commitment tofree outdoor concerts brought orchestral music to more people than any othermusician had. The Boston Pops became the most recorded symphony in the worldunder his direction, and The Guinness Book of World Records states thatFiedler conducted the largest classical music concert ever - a performanceon July 4, 1976, for over 400,000 people. Fiedler was an internationallyloved character, a true man of the people with a boundless enthusiasm forhis work. He died in 1979.
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