b. 22 December 1901, St. Petersburg, Russia, d. 13 January 1980, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. A distinguished conductor, composer, arranger and pianist who was instrumental in bridging the divide between classical and popular music. The son of wealthy parents, Kostelanetz is said to have been able to play the piano by the age of five. While in his teens he studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory of Music, and then served as an assistant conductor for the Imperial Grand Opera in Petrograd, before emigrating to the USA with his family in 1922.

Listen to Andre Kostelanetz at Finetune.

• We Wish You A Merry Christmas
• Humming chorus from Madama Butterfly, Act II
• E lucevan le stelle from Tosca, Act III
• Entrance of Butterfly from Madama Butterfly, Act I
• Pinkerton's Farewell and the Death of Butterfly from Madama Butterfly, Act II

• Bing Crosby
• Nat King Cole
• Andy Williams
• Burl Ives
• MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR
• Brenda Lee
• Johnny Mathis
• Elvis Presley
• Frank Sinatra
• Gene Autry
• Doris Day
• Josh Groban
• Ella Fitzgerald
• Tony Bennett
• Johnny Cash
• Mariah Carey
• LIBERACE
• Percy Faith
• Julie Andrews
• Perry Como

• arielenri