Serge Koussevitzky was a Russian-born conductor, composer, and double-bassist who is best known for his tenure as the music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1924 to 1949. He was also the founder of the Koussevitzky Music Foundation and the Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood. Koussevitzky was an influential figure in the development of 20th century classical music, and he championed the works of many modern composers, including Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and Bartok.