By transforming classical compositions into accessible easy listening arrangements, André Kostelanetz reached a wide middle-brow public unaccustomed to such repertoire, thereby creating the easy listening genre without intending to. He recognized radio’s reach and reshaped his orchestrations to suit the demands of widespread broadcasting.
Kostelanetz first appeared in music during childhood as a singer in the Petrograd choir and later assumed its leadership. He relocated to the United States in 1922. Finding no immediate opportunities as a conductor or arranger, he worked instead as an accompanist until making his radio debut in 1924 while leading an orchestra.
During the 1930s he formed a 65-piece ensemble—the largest orchestra then heard on radio—for the national program Andre Kostelanetz Presents. By the middle of the decade he ranked among America’s foremost radio personalities, a status confirmed by numerous awards and poll victories. In 1943 a survey of listeners in the United States and Canada praised his efforts on behalf of both popular and classical music.
Kostelanetz also appreciated recording’s capacity to deliver music to vast audiences and therefore mastered the technical requirements of the medium while championing the contributions of recording engineers. His most significant technical achievement, however, was the creation of a mechanical tuning device that indicated whether musicians were properly pitched; the invention was later adopted by the military for submarine detection.
His popularity endured through four decades of changing musical tastes. Across his career he sold more than 52 million records. The arranger sustained his practice of reworking classical works alongside show tunes and popular songs until his death in 1980.
