Bernstein, Leonard, 1918-1990

Variant names
Dates:
Birth 1918-08-25
Death 1990-10-14
Americans,
English, Hebrew, German,

Biographical notes:

American composer and conductor.

From the description of Typewritten letter signed, dated [n.p.], 10 November 1986, to Joan Peyser; Harry Kraut, Typewritten letters signed (2) on Leonard Bernstein stationery, dated New York, 22 March 1984 and 24 November 1986, to Joan Peyser; Burton Bernstein, Typewritten letter signed, dated New York, 9 September 1986, to Joan Peyser; Joan Peyser: Typewritten letter signed, dated New York, 15 July 1986, to Leonard Bernstein with comments in his hand, 1984 Mar. 22, 1986 Nov. 11. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 270992177

Composer.

From the description of Leonard Bernstein letter to Hans Heinsheimer, 1955 Apr. 21. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 301951245

From the description of Leonard Bernstein letter to Hans Heinsheimer, 1955 Mar. 29. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 301951242

From the description of Leonard Bernstein autograph letter to Hans Heinsheimer, 1949 Feb. 9. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 301799131

From the description of Leonard Bernstein letter to Hans Heinsheimer, probably 1954 June or July. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 301799134

From the description of Leonard Bernstein telegram to Hans Heinsheimer, 1952 June 23. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 301799132

Epithet: composer and conductor

British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000000208.0x000286

American conductor, composer, and pianist.

From the description of [Unidentified composition]. [1935?] (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 270561866

Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov, librettists. Betty Comden and Adolph Green, lyricists. David Ives, adaptor.

From the description of Wonderful town: typescript, 2000. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 122378590

Leonard Bernstein (b. August 25, 1918, in Lawrence, Massachusetts; d. October 14, 1990, in New York City) was an American composer, conductor, pianist, writer, and lecturer.

From the description of Leonard Bernstein collection : Part I, circa 1900-1994 (bulk 1933-1990). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 758101601

From the description of Leonard Bernstein collection : Part II, circa 1900-1994 (bulk 1933-1990). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 470850868

Biographical Sketch

1918, Aug. 25 Born, Lawrence, Massachusetts, first child of Samuel and Jennie Bernstein 1932 First piano recital Began piano studies with Helen Coates 1935 Graduated from Boston Latin Began Freshman year at Harvard University Piano studies with Heinrich Gebhard 1937 First professional appearance as a solo pianist with orchestra Met Aaron Copland, Adolph Green and Dimitri Mitropoulos 1938 Music Editor, Harvard Advocate 1939 Graduated from Harvard cum laude in music Composed and conducted score for The Birds Entered Curtis Institute, Philadelphia Studied conducting under Fritz Reiner Studied piano with Isabelle Vengerova Studied orchestration with Randall Thompson Studied score-reading with Renee Longy Miquelle 1940 Studied conducting under Serge Koussevitzky at Tanglewood 1941 Graduated from Curtis Institute 1942 Published Sonata for Clarinet and Piano Assistant to Koussevitzky at Tanglewood Moved to New York Completed First Symphony, Jeremiah 1943, Nov. 14 Substituted for Bruno Walter at Carnegie Hall concert 1943 Appointed assistant conductor for New York Philharmonic by Artur Rodzinski 1944 First performances of Jeremiah, Fancy Free and On the Town 1945 1947 Music director, New York City Symphony Orchestra 1946 First European conducting appearances in Prague and London Conducted U.S. premiere of Britten's Peter Grimes 1947 First visit to Israel Conducted in France, Belgium and Holland 1948 Conducted concert at Beersheba during War of Independence First appearance as conductor in Munich, Budapest, Vienna, Milan and Rome 1948 1949 Musical advisor, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra 1949 Piano soloist in first performance of his Second Symphony, The Age of Anxiety, conducted by Koussevitzky 1950 Premiere of Peter Pan 1951 Appointed head of conducting studies at Tanglewood, following the death of Koussevitzky Married Felicia Montealegre Cohn 1952 First performance of Trouble in Tahiti Daughter Jamie born Artistic director, Festival of Creative Arts, Brandeis University 1953 First performance of Wonderful Town Conducted Medea at La Scala 1954 Scored the film On the Waterfront First performance, in Venice, of Serenade First television appearance on Omnibus 1955 Conducted Symphony of the Air season in New York Son Alexander born First performance of The Lark 1956 Guest conductor, New York Philharmonic Orchestra Premiere of Candide 1957 Premiere of West Side Story Conducted inaugural concert of Mann Auditorium, Tel Aviv 1957 1958 Joint principal conductor, New York Philharmonic 1958 Shared Latin-American tour with Dimitri Mitropoulos Conducted first of fourteen seasons of "Young People's Concerts" 1958 1969 Music director, New York Philharmonic 1959 Toured Europe and Soviet Union with New York Philharmonic Published The Joy of Music. New York: Simon and Schuster 1960 Mounted Mahler centenary season with New York Philharmonic 1961 Toured Japan with New York Philharmonic Film version of West Side Story released 1962 Daughter Nina born Conducted inaugural concert at Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center (later Avery Fisher Hall) 1963 First performance of Third Symphony, Kaddish, in Tel Aviv 1964 Sabbatical year from New York Philharmonic Conducted Falstaff at Metropolitan Opera 1965 First performance of Chichester Psalms in New York and Chichester Commenced two-year survey of twentieth-century symphonic music with New York Philharmonic 1966 First engagements with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna State Opera (Falstaff) 1967 Conducted concert on Mount Scopus to mark reunification of Jerusalem Completed Mahler symphony cycle for CBS 1968 Conducted Der Rosenkavalier at Vienna State Opera New York Philharmonic tour of Western Europe and Israel 1969 Named lifetime Laureate Conductor on retirement from music directorship of New York Philharmonic Orchestra 1970 Fund-raising meeting for Black Panthers held at Bernstein's residence Conducted bicentennial production of Beethoven's Fidelio in Vienna 1970 1974 Artistic advisor, Tanglewood 1971 Premiere of Mass, inaugurating the Kennedy Center, Washington Conducted one-thousandth performance with New York Philharmonic 1972 Conducted Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera 1973 Delivered six Charles Eliot Norton lectures, "The Unanswered Question," at Harvard University Conducted for Pope Paul VI at the Vatican 1974 First performance of Dybbuk ballet Led New York Philharmonic on tour of New Zealand, Australia and Japan 1976 Premiere of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Trial separation from his wife 1977 Reconciliation with wife First performance of Songfest 1978, June 16 Felicia Bernstein died 1979 Conducted Berlin Philharmonic in Mahler's Ninth Symphony 1980 First performance of Divertimento Received the Kennedy Center Honor 1981 Premiere of Halil Recorded Tristan und Isolde in Munich 1982 Artistic director, Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute 1983 Premiere of A Quiet Place at Houston Grand Opera 1984 Revised A Quiet Place at La Scala Deutsche Grammophon recording of West Side Story Daughter Jamie married to David Evan Thomas 1985 Journey for Peace at Hiroshima 1986 Bernstein Festival at Barbican Centre, London Inaugurated Schleswig-Holstein Festival First performance of Jubilee Games 1988 First performance of Arias and Barcarolles Four-day seventieth-birthday celebration at Tanglewood 1990 June Inaugurated the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan 1990, August 19 Last concert with Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood 1990, October 14 Died at 6:15 p.m. at home in New York

From the guide to the Leonard Bernstein Collection, circa 1900-1994, (bulk 1933-1990), (Music Division Library of Congress)

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Subjects:

  • Musicians
  • Musicians
  • Musicians
  • Musicians
  • Ballets
  • Big band music, Arranged
  • Brass quartets (Horn, trombone, trumpet, tuba)
  • Choruses, Sacred (Mixed voices, 4 parts) with organ
  • Choruses, Sacred (Mixed voices) with instrumental ensemble
  • Choruses, Secular (Mixed voices, 4 parts) with piano
  • Choruses, Secular (Mixed voices, 6 parts), Unaccompanied
  • Composers
  • Composers
  • Composers
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  • Conductors (Music)
  • Conductors (Music)
  • Conductors (Music)
  • Cooking, French
  • Fanfares
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  • Hispanic American gangs
  • Horn and piano music
  • Incidental music
  • Instrumental ensembles
  • Jazz
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  • Music
  • Music
  • Musical revues, comedies, etc.
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  • Piano music
  • Piano music (Pianos (2))
  • Psalms (Music)
  • Race relations
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  • Sacred monologues with music (Chorus with orchestra)
  • Sacred songs (Medium voice) with organ
  • Song cycles
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  • Songs (Medium voice) with piano
  • Songs (Medium voice) with piano
  • Songs with piano
  • String quartets, Arranged
  • Symphonies
  • Synagogue music
  • Synagogue music
  • Trombone music
  • Trumpet and piano music
  • Tuba and piano music
  • Violin with brass ensemble
  • Vocal music
  • Vocal trios with orchestra

Occupations:

  • Composers
  • Conductor

Places:

  • United States (as recorded)
  • United States (as recorded)
  • New York (State)--New York (as recorded)
  • United States (as recorded)
  • United States (as recorded)
  • United States (as recorded)
  • United States (as recorded)
  • New York (State)--New York (as recorded)
  • United States (as recorded)
  • United States (as recorded)
  • United States (as recorded)
  • United States (as recorded)
  • United States (as recorded)

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