Leonard Bernstein Biography and Works.

Leonard Bernstein (August 25, 1918-October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim. According to The New York Times, he was “one of the most prodigiously talented and successful musicians in American history”.

He derived fame through his long tenure as the music director of the New York Philharmonic, from his conducting of concerts with most of the world’s leading orchestras and his music for West Side Story, as well as Candide, Wonderful Town, On the Town and his own Mass.

Bernstein was also the first conductor to give numerous television lectures on classical music, starting in 1954, continuing the same until his death. In addition, he was a skilled pianist, often conducting piano concertos from the keyboard.

As a composer he was prolific, writing symphonies, ballet music, operas, chamber music, pieces for the piano, other orchestral and choral works, and other concert and incidental music, but the tremendous success of West Side Story remained unequalled by his other compositions.

Trivia

While Bernstein is very well known for his music compositions and conducting, he is also known for his outspoken political views and his strong desire to further social change. His first aspirations for social change were made apparent in his producing (as a student) of a banned opera, The Cradle Will Rock, about disparagement between the working and upper class. As he went on in his career, Bernstein would go on to fight for everything from the influences of “American Music’ to the disarming of nuclear weapons.