Statement on the Death of Arthur Fiedler

Music lovers everywhere were saddened to learn of the death of Arthur Fiedler, who had a special place in our hearts as the courtly man who introduced millions to the infinite variety and pleasures of music.

The Fourth of July concerts he originated on the banks of the Charles River became a part of our national tradition. He gave us the best loved classics with a joyous mixture of country, jazz, and popular works. He knew how to take music seriously without taking the fun out of it, and he shared that gift with us all.

Rosalynn and I join a nation filled with the grateful recipients of that gift in sending our deepest sympathy to his wife, Ellen Bottomly Fiedler, and the rest of his family.