Moshe Koussevitzky was born on June 9, 1899 in Smarhoń, Russian Empire (now Belarus), and became a cantor and vocalist. He began his career at Vilna's Sawel Synagogue in 1920, later serving at the Great Synagogue of Vilna by 1924. Koussevitzky gained international recognition performing in major European cities. In 1934 and 1936 he performed Israel. In 1938, he performed at New York's Carnegie Hall. During World War II, he escaped to the Soviet Union, singing opera under the name Mikhail Koswitzky. Post-war, Koussevitzky emigrated to the United States in 1947 and became cantor of Borough Park, Brooklyn's Temple Beth-El in 1952. Notable recordings include Cantorial Chants (1949), Hatorah Hakedoshah (1959), and Yiddishe Lieder (1964). Koussevitzky died on August 23, 1966 in New York City.
