Serguey Koussevistzky (1874-1951) was an American conductor and double bass player of Russian birth. He married the daughter of a wealthy merchant, which allowed him to use his great talent and skills to build a career as a solo artist, conductor, and artistic entrepreneur without having to worry about his income. He was an enthusiastic advocate of contemporary music and one of the most important sponsors of all times. He commissioned some of the key works in the 20th century repertoire, such as Ravel’s orchestration of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms, Ravel’s piano concerto in G, Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra, and Hindemith’s Konzertmusik, among many others. His greatest legacy was the creation of the Tanglewood festival in 1936. Besides his Double Bass Concerto, he wrote a Humoresque, Valse miniature, Chanson triste and many other works for double bass.