The Arthur Fiedler Reading Room

Please contact the staff of the Music Library to request items shelved in that room: musiclib@bu.edu or 617-353-3705 during our staffed hours.

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The Reading Room was established by the family of the late Arthur Fiedler (1894-1979). One of the great advocates of musical activity in Boston during his era, Fiedler is most readily associated with the Boston Pops which he conducted for more than forty years. Permanently housed in cases within the Reading Room are Fiedler’s personal score and book collections. The book collection is fully cataloged; cataloging of the scores is in progress, and an inventory of uncataloged items by genre or instrumentation (e.g., Operas, Chamber Music, Songs) serves as a finding aid. All items are restricted to on-site use. Fiedler’s personal collection of recordings is gathered and housed in a closed stack area of the the Music Library (Room 209); this collection of recordings may be browsed by appointment.

Exhibits of other documents, letters, memorabilia and photographs relating to the life and career of Fiedler are also displayed in the Reading Room. The exhibits, prepared by the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center, are drawn from the unique material in the Arthur Fiedler Collection, which is housed in that Department. To inquire further about the Arthur Fiedler Collection, please contact the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center.