On November 13, 1937, the newly formed NBC Symphony Orchestra gave its first official broadcast concert from Studio 8H at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Conceived by Radio Corporation of America president David Sarnoff, the ensemble represented an ambitious investment in orchestral music for a nationwide radio audience. French conductor Pierre Monteux (shown) led an opening program featuring music by Bach, Mozart, Franck, Debussy, and Richard Strauss, bringing a newly assembled orchestra of exceptional musicians into listeners’ homes.
The orchestra was formed for the celebrated Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini, whom Sarnoff persuaded to return from an intended retirement after leaving the New York Philharmonic. NBC recruited prominent musicians from major orchestras, offered year-round contracts, and outfitted its existing Studio 8H for the broadcasts. Artur Rodziński helped prepare the ensemble and conducted a broadcast rehearsal on November 2; Monteux led the official debut eleven days later. Toscanini made his first appearance with the orchestra on Christmas Night, beginning an association that continued until his retirement in 1954.
The significance of November 13, 1937, lies not in the invention of orchestral broadcasting, but in the scale and ambition of NBC’s commitment. During the Great Depression, the network brought distinguished musicians and major symphonic works to audiences who did not need a concert ticket to listen. Studio 8H later became famous as the home of Saturday Night Live, but its earlier role as the NBC Symphony’s broadcast home remains an important chapter in the relationship between commercial radio, corporate patronage, and American musical life.
