We join the classical music community in mourning the passing of legendary double bass virtuoso and beloved teacher Gary Karr. Renowned for his extraordinary artistry and trailblazing contributions to the double bass, Karr was one of the instrument’s most influential figures. As a soloist, he performed with major orchestras around the world, commissioned and premiered numerous works, and recorded more than 90 albums—vastly expanding the bass repertoire and raising the profile of the instrument.

On this day in 1958, Leonard Bernstein conducted his first Young People's Concert, just two weeks after becoming Music Director of the New York Philharmonic. Such programs were already a Philharmonic tradition when Bernstein arrived, but he made them a centerpiece of his work, part of what he described as his "educational mission." In this first program, What Does Music Mean?, Bernstein used musical examples from Frédéric Chopin, Beethoven, Rossini, Johann Strauss II, Richard Strauss, and Ravel

Leonard Bernstein broadcast his Young People's Concert "Who is Gustav Mahler?" with the New York Philharmonic on this day in 1960. "I admit it's a problem to be both a conductor and a composer; there never seems to be enough time and energy to be both things. I ought to know because I have the same problem myself, and that's one of the reasons why I'm so sympathetic to Mahler: I understand his problem. It's like being two different men locked up in the same body; one man is a conductor and the o