Leonard Bernstein

Leonard Bernstein
Bernstein in 1977
Born
Louis Bernstein

(1918-08-25)August 25, 1918
Lawrence, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedOctober 14, 1990(1990-10-14) (aged 72)
New York City, U.S.
Burial placeGreen-Wood Cemetery
EducationHarvard University (BA)
Curtis Institute of Music (Dip)
Occupations
  • Conductor
  • composer
  • pianist
  • lecturer
  • author
WorksList of compositions
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1951; died 1978)​
Children3
AwardsFull list
Signature

Leonard Bernstein (/ˈbɜːrnstaɪn/ BURN-styne;[1] born Louis Bernstein; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first American-born conductor to receive international acclaim. Bernstein was "one of the most prodigiously talented and successful musicians in American history" according to music critic Donal Henahan.[2] Bernstein's honors and accolades include seven Emmy Awards,[3] two Tony Awards,[4] and 16 Grammy Awards (including the Lifetime Achievement Award)[5] as well as an Academy Award nomination. He received the Kennedy Center Honor in 1981.[6]

As a composer, Bernstein wrote in many genres, including symphonic and orchestral music, ballet, film and theatre music, choral works, opera, chamber music, and pieces for the piano. Bernstein's works include the Broadway musical West Side Story, which continues to be regularly performed worldwide, and has been adapted into two (1961 and 2021) feature films, three symphonies, Serenade after Plato's "Symposium" (1954), and Chichester Psalms (1965), the original score for the Elia Kazan drama film On the Waterfront (1954), and theater works including On the Town (1944), Wonderful Town (1953), Candide (1956), and his Mass (1971).

Bernstein was the first American-born conductor to lead a major American symphony orchestra.[7] He was music director of the New York Philharmonic and conducted the world's major orchestras, generating a legacy of audio and video recordings.[8] Bernstein was also a critical figure in the modern revival of the music of Gustav Mahler, in whose music he was most interested.[9] A skilled pianist,[10] Bernstein often conducted piano concertos from the keyboard. He shared and explored classical music on television with a mass audience in national and international broadcasts, including Young People's Concerts with the New York Philharmonic.[11]

Bernstein worked in support of civil rights,[12] protested against the Vietnam War,[13] advocated nuclear disarmament, raised money for HIV/AIDS research and awareness, and engaged in multiple international initiatives for human rights and world peace. He conducted Mahler's Resurrection Symphony to mark the death of president John F. Kennedy,[14] and in Israel at a concert, Hatikvah on Mt. Scopus, after the Six-Day War.[15] The sequence of events was recorded for a documentary entitled Journey to Jerusalem.[16] At the end of his life, Bernstein conducted a performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in Berlin to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall.

  1. ^ Karlin, Fred (1994). Listening to Movies 8. New York: Schirmer. p. 264. Bernstein's pronunciation of his own name as he introduces his Peter and the Wolf.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference obit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Leonard Bernstein". Television Academy. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  4. ^ "Leonard Bernstein Tony Awards Info". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  5. ^ "Leonard Bernstein – Awards". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  6. ^ "Leonard Bernstein". Kennedy Center. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  7. ^ Oliver, Myrna (October 15, 1990). "Leonard Bernstein Dies; Conductor, Composer: Music: Renaissance man of his art was 72. The longtime leader of the N.Y. Philharmonic carved a niche in history with West Side Story". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 15, 2020. Louis Bernstein ... born ... to two Russian Jewish immigrants.
  8. ^ "Discography | Leonard Bernstein". leonardbernstein.com. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  9. ^ Schiff, David (November 4, 2001). "The Man Who Mainstreamed Mahler". The New York Times.
  10. ^ Laird 2002, p. 10.
  11. ^ "Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts with the New York Philharmonic". Leonard Bernstein. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  12. ^ "March 24, 1965: 'The Night the 'Stars' Came Out in Alabama'". Classical.org. March 24, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  13. ^ "How Bernstein Came to MASS". Brandeis University. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  14. ^ Byrd, Craig (April 29, 2020). "Bernstein Conducts Mahler 1963". Cultural Attaché. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  15. ^ "Mt. Scopus (1967) | Historic Concerts | Conductor | About | Leonard Bernstein". leonardbernstein.com. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  16. ^ A Journey to Jerusalem 1967 with Leonard Bernstein & Isaac Stern on YouTube