Leonard Bernstein

Leonard Bernstein was one of the first American-born conductors to receive worldwide fame. Music can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.Leonard BernsteinBIO - Synopsis Leonard Bernstein was born on August 25, 1918, in Lawrence, Massachusetts. It was at the age of 10 that Leonard first played piano, He was a natural from the start. He studied at Curtis Institute of Music,Berkshire Music Center,Boston Latin School and Harvard University. Bernstein got his big break conducting the New York Philharmonic in 1943, From 1945 to 1947, he conducted the New York City Center orchestra and appeared as a guest conductor across the United States, Europe, and Israel. He also found a love for teaching and was one of the first American-born conductors to lead world-class orchestras. Always a fan of both classical and pop music, Bernstein wrote his first operetta,Candidein 1956. His second work for the stage was the beloved musicalWest Side Story. After battling emphysema, he died at the age of 72.