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André Kostelanetz
Andre Kostelanetz (December 22, 1901 – January 13, 1980) was a Russian-American conductor and arranger renowned for his contributions to popular orchestral music. Born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, into a prominent Jewish family, he began playing the piano at a young age and studied composition and orchestration at the Petrograd Conservatory of Music. Kostelanetz's early career included a position as chorusmaster and assistant conductor with the Grand Petrograd Opera Company. Following the Russian Revolution, he left Russia in 1922, staying briefly in Paris before moving to the United States.

In the U.S., Kostelanetz became a significant figure in radio, conducting concerts and hosting his own CBS show, "Andre Kostelanetz Presents." He was known for his orchestral arrangements of light classical music, pop songs, and Broadway show tunes, achieving sales of over 50 million records. His work with the New York Philharmonic included popular "Promenade" concerts, and he was instrumental in commissioning works by American composers such as Aaron Copland and Jerome Kern.

Kostelanetz married soprano Lily Pons in 1938, and the couple performed USO concerts during World War II. After their divorce in 1958, he married Sara Gene Orcutt in 1960. Kostelanetz's influence extended beyond music; he was an innovator in audio electronics and an avid world traveler. He passed away in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 1980, leaving behind a legacy as a pioneer of easy listening music and a promoter of American compositions.

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