Fiedler, Arthur
FIEDLER, ARTHUR
FIEDLER, ARTHUR (1894–1979), conductor and violinist. Fiedler was born in Boston, where his father was a violinist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Violinists or "fiedlers" had been in the family for three generations. As a boy, he studied the violin, the piano, and conducting at the Hochschule fuer Musik, Berlin. He made his debut there at 17 as a violinist, but returned to the U.S. on the outbreak of World War i and joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra as a viola player. In 1924 he founded the Boston Sinfonietta, an orchestra of 22 players. From 1929 he organized the successful outdoor series of Esplanade Concerts at Boston. A year later (1930), he was appointed conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, which he directed until his death. Fiedler extended the orchestral repertory to include show-tune medleys and arrangements of popular songs in a variety of styles, which brought him a wide reputation at home and abroad. From 1957 he also made international appearances as a guest conductor.
bibliography:
Grove online; R. Moore: Fiedler, the Colorful Mr. Pops (1968), incl. discography; H.E. Dickson: Arthur Fiedlerand the Boston Pops (1981).
[Israela Stein (2nd ed.)]