Leonard Bernstein was one of the important figures of twentieth-century American music, uniquely combining symphonic and classical music with jazz, musical theatre and popular music. At the same time, he was one of the most important conductors of his generation.
He was born on August 25, 1918, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, into a family of Ukrainian-Jewish immigrants. From an early age he showed a strong inclination toward music and began studying piano. He later studied at Harvard and at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
His great recognition as a conductor came in 1943, when, at only 25 years old, he unexpectedly replaced Bruno Walter in a concert by the New York Philharmonic. The concert was broadcast on the radio, and Bernstein became known throughout America.
In 1958 he became Music Director of the New York Philharmonic, a position he held until 1969. At the same time, he conducted the world’s leading orchestras and left behind a vast number of recordings.
As a composer, he became internationally famous primarily through West Side Story (1957), one of the most important musicals of the twentieth century. His music combined jazz, Latin American rhythms, symphonic writing and Broadway, while the work explores love, prejudice, violence and social divisions.
Bernstein was not confined to the concert hall. Through the celebrated Young People's Concerts of the New York Philharmonic, he became one of the most important popularizers of classical music and helped generations of young people discover and appreciate music.
He died in New York on October 14, 1990.
