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Leonard Bernstein
Composing West Side Story and bringing orchestral music to television audiences.
New York Philharmonic · Young People’s Concerts
- Born
- 25 August 1918
- Birthplace
- Lawrence, Massachusetts, United States
- Died
- 14 October 1990
More people
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein was an American conductor, composer and educator who moved between the concert hall and Broadway. His public teaching combined musical analysis with the energy of a performer addressing a live audience.
Early life
Massachusetts family
Grew up in a Jewish immigrant household and began piano lessons as a child.
Musical education
Studied at Harvard, the Curtis Institute and Tanglewood.
Career
- 1943
Conducting breakthrough
Replaced an indisposed conductor at the New York Philharmonic with little notice.
- 1940s–1950s
Composer and guest conductor
Developed stage works while building an international conducting career.
- 1958–1969
Music director
Led the New York Philharmonic and its televised educational concerts.
- 1970s–1990
International conducting
Continued recording, teaching and composing after leaving the permanent post.
Selected work
On the Town
A Broadway musical follows three sailors through New York.
West Side Story
Recasts Romeo and Juliet through rival New York gangs.
Mass
Combines theatre, orchestral music and popular styles around a crisis of faith.
Beyond work
Felicia Montealegre
Married the actor in 1951; they had three children.
Public causes
Supported civil rights and humanitarian causes alongside his musical work.
Sources & photo credit
Biography ↗Life and work ↗Photo: Jack Mitchell. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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