Cantor Moshe Koussevitzky

The Judaica Sound Archives is pleased and proud to present Cantor Moshe Koussevitzky as our featured performer.

Born into a family of hazzans in Belarus, Moshe Koussevitzky’s special gifts became obvious when he was a young boy. Koussevitzky's family moved to Russia and then to Poland as he sought to refine and sharpen his talents.

He officiated at the Tlomacki Synagogue of Warsaw, following in the footsteps of the renowned Cantor Gerson Sirota. According to Benedict Stambler, founder of Collectors Guild records, it was in Warsaw that Koussevitzky’s “voice reached its full power and brilliance.” It was, therefore, no surprise that his talents were in great demand. He performed throughout Europe and in Palestine between 1935 and 1939, becoming especially popular in England.

When the hostilities in Poland threatened Koussevitzky, members of the Polish underground were able to rescue him. Then they brought him to Russia, where he was reunited with his family.

He performed opera and liturgical music throughout Russia, travelling ever eastward to escape the ravages of war. After the German retreat Koussevitzky’s voice thrilled audiences at the Tiflis National Opera Company in Georgia where he sang from 1944 to 1946.

In 1946 Moshe Koussevitzky re-joined his three brothers, all talented cantors, in London to give a stirring appearance at the Royal Albert Hall before an appreciative audience of over ten thousand.

Koussevitzky's miraculous survival and his struggle through the war years were well known. When he arrived in the USA to perform at his sold-out Carnegie Hall debut in October in 1947, he was met at the pier by a sympathetic and tumultuous crowd of emotional fans.

 The Judaica Sound Archives is a major center for the collection, preservation and digitization of Judaica audio recordings. The JSA is located in the Wimberly Library on the Boca Raton campus of Florida Atlantic University.