Leonard Bernstein

Leonard Bernstein

Listen and watch Bernstein conduct Candide Overture

Writing

Leonard Bernstein, a very popular musician and composer during the mid-1950s, was born on August 25th, 1918 and died on October 14th, 1990. He was most popular during the late 1950s with his creation of the famous Broadway musical, West Side Story. Along with his television series about how to understand music or when he conducted orchestras on TV and playing piano, he became one of the most influential composers in musical-theatre. He was married and had three children. Bernstein was said to be bisexual, which resulted in a very scandalous event during that time period. Bernstein found inspiration everywhere and impressed anyone who listened to his work. He has composed musicals, operas, stage works, ballets, and orchestral, piano, choral, chamber, and orchestral works. He is one of the few musicians that changed the face of music in the 1900s, and is known as one of the first American-born conductors to receive worldwide fame.

Portait

Conducting

One of Bernstein's most famous works is the music behind West Side Story, a musical inspired by Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. (Left)He also created the music and lyrics to the popular 1950 musical, Peter Pan. (Right)

Here is Bernstein editing one of his works in the 1950s.

Bernstein's conducting was very dramatic.

Check out this webpage to listen to more of Bernstein's works.