Like other musicians, Robert Harth got to Carnegie Hall by practicing.

But it was his ability to present world-class artists and run premiere music organizations, such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, that landed the former Pittsburgh resident in Manhattan.

Mr. Harth, the artistic and executive director of Carnegie Hall, died of an apparent heart attack Friday in his New York City apartment. He was 47. Competitive and dynamic, Mr. Harth's contributions to the arts included the building of Harris Hall in Aspen, Colo., the creation of the American Academy of Conducting in Aspen and the establishment of programs at Carnegie Hall that drew new audiences.

A few days after Sept. 11, 2001, Mr. Harth took over at Carnegie Hall.

His father, Sidney Harth, said yesterday that he had heard from musicians all over the world.

"I've cried on the phone with Zubin Mehta and Daniel Barenboim,'' Sidney Harth said in a telephone interview from New York City.

"Everybody adored him as a person. He took their problems to heart and he worked on them. He was sincere. He never forgot them. He was very thorough. He was good to the staff. He was not overbearing. He knew how to be tough,'' Sidney Harth said.

A recent headline in The New York Times summarized Robert Harth as "Mr. Nice Guy But No Pushover,'' his father added.

During the 1960s and 70s, Sidney Harth served as a concertmaster and assistant conductor with the Los Angeles Philharmonic for eight seasons.

Mr. Harth began working for the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1979 on the day his father left the orchestra.

"I didn't realize it myself that he made such an impression all over the world,'' said Sidney Harth, who lives in Squirrel Hill. His wife, Teresa Harth, was a violinist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra until she retired three years ago.

Mr. Harth was born in Louisville, Ky., and grew up in Pittsburgh, where he attended Linden Elementary in Squirrel Hill and Shady Side Academy.

"In a 47-year life, he had a 27-year, full-time career in managing classical music institutions. In that period, he only made friends and met people who respected him, which says something about him,'' said Andrew Patner, the classical music critic at large for WFMT Radio in Chicago.

Mr. Harth was still a student at Northwestern University when he sought work at Ravinia Festival, a performing arts festival held outside of Chicago, Ill.

The festival did not have any openings but Harth persisted.

"They made a job for him. He had already worked at the Hollywood Bowl. He was so good that he worked all year round,'' Sidney Harth said. Eventually, Mr. Harth became Ravinia's production manager and, later, associate manager.

At age 8, Robert Harth began learning to play the violin.

"We found it impossible to teach him. Parents should never teach their own kids. He studied with graduate students from CMU,'' Sidney Harth said.

Mr. Harth's eclectic musical tastes appeared early. He taught himself to play the guitar and flute and also played in a rock 'n' roll garage band.

Alan Fletcher, who heads Carnegie Mellon University's School of Music, said Mr. Harth served on the school's advisory board.

"You felt when you were with him that you were being swept along with something great. He was at the center of educating musicians as well as thinking about the future of music and how it was presented,'' Fletcher said.

Last year, Mr. Harth and other advisory board members drafted a report that defined the school's strategy for attracting music students with a broad range of academic interests.

Mr. Harth was not afraid to take risks, Fletcher said, and created concerts that featured a variety of musicians performing a broad cross section of music such as folk, classical, jazz or world music.

During his visit to CMU, "He was so open and upbeat and positive. At the end of an hour, you realized he had really shaped the discussion but hadn't dominated it,'' Fletcher said.

In addition to his parents, Mr. Harth is survived by his sister, Laura Harth Rodriguez, of Squirrel Hill; a stepson, Jeffrey Curtis of San Luis Obispo, Calif.; and his former wife, Melanie Harth of Santa Fe, N.M.

A private memorial service will be held today in the Frank Campbell Funeral Home in New York City. Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax and the Emerson String Quartet will play.