Easily the most popular conductor of his era, Arthur Fiedler was classical music's greatest ambassador since Mozart. Without regard to cultural and economic lines, he promoted symphonic music for the enjoyment and appreciation of all listeners. In 1915, he signed on with the Boston Symphony as a violinist, but his own desire to conduct prompted him to form the Arthur Fiedler Sinfonietta, with whom he introduced his legendary Esplanade Concerts along the banks of the Charles River. The first such American performances of their kind, they combined classical and popular music to appeal to the widest audiences imaginable, and in the years to follow became a staple of Bostonian culture. In 1930, Fiedler was appointed to the conductor's post of the Boston Pops Orchestra; he maintained the position for the next half-century. ~ Jason Ankeny