Known for movies

Short Info

DiedOctober 14, 1990, New York City, New York, United States
SpouseFelicia Montealegre
FactWas the first American-born and American-trained conductor to be appointed music director of the New York Philharmonic and to conduct at Milan's La Scala Opera House.


Leonard Bernstein was one of the most influential American classical music composers and conductors of the 20th century. He was born on August 25, 1918, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, to Jewish immigrant parents. His father, Sam Bernstein, was a successful businessman and his mother, Jennie Bernstein, was a piano teacher. Leonard had two younger sisters, Shirley and Nina. He began taking piano lessons at the age of 10 and soon showed great promise as a musician. He attended the Boston Latin School and then the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

Bernstein’s career began in the early 1940s when he became the assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic. He made his debut as a conductor with the orchestra in 1943, substituting for the ailing Bruno Walter. The performance was a sensation, and Bernstein quickly became one of the most celebrated conductors in the world. He went on to lead some of the most prestigious orchestras in America and Europe, including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Vienna Philharmonic. He also composed several highly acclaimed works, including the musicals “West Side Story” and “Candide.”

In addition to his conducting and composing career, Bernstein was also an outspoken advocate for social justice. He was an active supporter of the civil rights movement and spoke out against McCarthyism and other forms of political repression. He died of a heart attack on October 14, 1990, at the age of 72.

During his lifetime, Bernstein won numerous awards and honors, including 11 Grammy Awards, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Kennedy Center Honors. He was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Today, his legacy continues to inspire musicians and music lovers around the world.

General Info

Full NameLeonard Bernstein
DiedOctober 14, 1990, New York City, New York, United States
ProfessionTeacher, Pianist, Author, Screenwriter, Film Score Composer, Music Director, Candide, Mass, Somewhere
EducationBoston Latin School, Harvard University, Curtis Institute of Music, Candide, Mass, Somewhere
NationalityAmerican

Family

SpouseFelicia Montealegre
ChildrenAlexander Bernstein, Nina Maria Felicia Bernstein, Jamie Anne Maria Bernstein, Candide, Mass, Somewhere
ParentsSamuel Joseph Bernstein, Jennie Bernstein, Candide, Mass, Somewhere
SiblingsBurton Bernstein, Shirley Anne Bernstein, Candide, Mass, Somewhere

Accomplishments

AwardsKennedy Center Honors, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance, Grammy Award for Best Classical Album, Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording, Grammy Hall of Fame, Ernst von Siemens Music Prize, Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance, Grammy Award for Best Co...
NominationsAcademy Award for Best Original Music Score, Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, Grammy Award for Best Music Film, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music, Brit Award for Best Classical Recording, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Classical Program - Performing Arts, Drama Desk Award for ...
MoviesThe Making of West Side Story, Bernstein in London: Verdi Requiem, Bernstein in Australia: Tchaikovsky Symphony No.6, Haydn: Die Schopfung, Bernstein in Vienna: Beethoven, the Ninth Symphony, Ode to Freedom: Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, Leonard Bernstein: Candide, Beethoven: Fidelio, Bernstein: Schuma...

Social profile links

Quotes

#Quote
1The "Rhapsody in Blue" is not a composition at all. It's a string of several paragraphs stuck together--with a thin paste of flour and water. It is not a real composition in the sense that whatever happens in it must seem inevitable, or even pretty inevitable. You can cut out parts of it without affecting the whole in any way except to make it shorter. You can remove any of these stuck-together sections and the piece still goes on as bravely as before. You can even interchange these sections with one another and no harm done. You can make cuts within a section, or add new cadenzas, or play it with any combination of instruments or on the piano alone. It can be a five-minute piece or a six-minute piece or a 12-minute piece. And, in fact, all these things are being done to it every day. It's still the "Rhapsody in Blue".
2[on George Gershwin's "An American in Paris"] When you hear the piece, you rejoice in the first theme, then sit and wait through the "filler" until the next one comes along. In this way you can sit out two-thirds of the composition. The remaining third is marvelous because it consists of the themes themselves. But where's the composition? What's good in it is so good that it's irresistible. If you have to go along with some chaff in order to have the wheat, it's worth it.
3[George Gershwin's] tragedy was not that he failed to cross the tracks, but rather that he did, and once there, in his new habitat, was deprived of the chance to plunge his roots firmly into the new soil. He was given only a little more than a decade to develop the roots of this transplantation and died, shockingly and maddeningly, in his thirties--a few years older than [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart] was when he died. These two names may be felt to be an uncomfortable pairing, but they make a fascinating comparison. Both men were "naturals", each evolving a body of music that sprang like phenomena of nature from their respective soils, fertile and flourishing. But Mozart had no tracks to cross. His was one great continuing harvest from childhood to death. Gershwin, on the contrary, had to plough, sow, thresh and reap afresh over and over again. We can only speculate about what degree of mastery he might have attained if he had lived.
4[on Ludwig van Beethoven] Form is only an empty word, a shell, without the gift of inevitability; a composer can write a string of perfectly molded sonata-allegro movements, with every rule obeyed, and still suffer from bad form. Beethoven broke all the rules, and turned out pieces of breathtaking rightness. Rightness--that's the word! When you get the feeling that whatever note succeeds the last is is the only possible note that can rightly happen in that instant, that context, then chances are you're listening to Beethoven. Our boy has the real goods, the stuff from Heaven, the power to make you feel at the finish, "Something is right in the world". There is something that checks throughout, that follows its own law consistently--something we can trust, that will never let us down.
5Elvis Presley is the greatest cultural force in the 20th century. He introduced the beat to everything--music, language, clothes. It's a whole new social revolution--the '60s comes from it.
6Natalie Wood played Maria, the Puerto Rican damsel, in "West Side Story". Natalie lost.
7Life without music is unthinkable. Music without life is academic. That is why my contact with music is a total embrace.
8[April 1962, remarks to the audience from his remarks to the audience during a concert at which time he publicly disassociated himself from Glenn Gould's interpretation of the Johannes Brahms' D minor piano concerto about to be performed] I have only once before in my life ever had to submit to a soloist's totally new and incompatible view, and that was the last time I accompanied Mr. Gould. But this time, the discrepancies between our views are so great that I feel I must make this small disclaimer.
9I don't want to spend the rest of my life doing as [Arturo Toscanini] did, studying and restudying 50 pieces of music. It would bore me to death. I want to conduct, play the piano, compose.

Facts

#Fact
1Arthur Laurents, Jerome Robbins and his musical, "West Side Story" at the Paramount Theatre in Chicago, Illinois was awarded the 2016 Joseph Jefferson (Equity) Award for Large Musical Production.
2In his series 20th Century Greats (2004), British composer and presenter Howard Goodall made a case for Bernstein as one of the four most important composers of the 20th century, along with Cole Porter, Bernard Herrmann and the Lennon (John Lennon)McCartney (Paul McCartney) songwriting partnership.
3His musical, "Candide," at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California was awarded the 1995 Drama-Logue Award for Production.
4Brother of Shirley Bernstein.
5Father of Jamie Bernstein, Alexander Bernstein and Nina Bernstein.
6Was a fan of The Beatles. Whenever daughter Jamie would bring home a Beatles album, he would urge her to put on the record player and listen to it with his children.
7Favorite drink was Ballantine's Scotch Whisky. A lifelong heavy smoker, his cigarette of choice was L&M.
8He conducted Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's overture to "The Marriage of Figaro" on four occasions on the long-running New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts (1958).
9In 1945 Bernstein considered acting, and actually discussed the possibility of playing Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in a film, opposite superstar Greta Garbo as the legendary composer's friend Mme. von Meck.
10His musical, "Candide," at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois was awarded the 2011 Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for Musical Production (Large).
11He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6200 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
12His last work for the musical theater, "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue", was one of his few failures in the medium. "Candide" had also been a failure when it first opened in 1956, but eventually became a hit in its 1974 revival. "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue," with book and lyrics by Bernstein's old friend Alan Jay Lerner, attempted to tell the story of all the US Presidents who had occupied the White House in a single evening. Starring Ken Howard and Patricia Routledge, it had an extremely difficult pre-Broadway try-out period, marked by extensive re-writes, poor reviews and negative audience response. When it ultimately opened on Broadway, in May of 1976, it ran only seven performances. Bernstein ultimately re-cycled much of the music for other works, and the complete score went unrecorded (at Bernstein's insistence) for 24 years. At that time, some ten years after Bernstein's death and 14 years after Lerner's, it was recorded and issued as "White House Cantata".
13Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972.
14Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume Two, 1986-1990, pages 94-98. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1999.
15Named to then-President Richard Nixon's famed "enemies list" for hosting a fund-raising party in 1970 for the Black Panthers, the Afro-American militant group, with a glamorous Who's Who of the New York City performing arts scene (for that era) in attendance. Journalist/novelist Tom Wolfe covered the event for New Yorker Magazine, later publishing his comments in book form as "Radical Chic".
16Three of his New York Philharmonic albums all won consecutive Grammy Awards between 1962 and 1964, in the category "Best Children's Album". They were "Peter and the Wolf/ Nutcracker Suite", "Carnival of the Animals/ Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra", and "Leonard Bernstein Conducts for Young People".
17Was the first American-born and American-trained conductor of a major orchestra to become as famous as he did. There had been some American-born conductors before him, including Arthur Fiedler, who conducted the Boston Pops from 1930 to the late 1970s, and Alfred Wallenstein, who became conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1943. However, neither Fiedler nor Wallenstein were trained in the US, as Bernstein was. Bernstein is still the only American-trained US conductor to become so famous that his name is virtually a household word. Fiedler did become very well-known, but the Boston Pops played, and still play, mostly light classics, not pieces like Ludwig van Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony" (as orchestras conducted by Bernstein did). Few other American-born conductors had even a fraction of the impact that Bernstein did, although the Boston Pops' recordings have always rivaled Bernstein's in popularity. Bernstein's many talents--conducting, composing, writing, teaching and piano-playing--aroused the admiration of the public, but also envy and resentment from a few major critics, such as Harold C. Schonberg, who was then the music critic of the New York Times. It was not until Bernstein was into his later years that some critics who had previously dismissed him (like Schonberg) began to show a grudging respect for him. Nowadays he is universally acknowledged as perhaps the greatest conductor that the US has ever produced.
18Did not begin playing the piano until age ten.
19He was the first conductor to make stereophonic recordings with the New York Philharmonic.
20Won three Tony Awards: in 1953, as Best Composer and his music as part of a Best Musical win for "Wonderful Town;" and in 1969, a Special Tony Award. He was also Tony-nominated on two other occasions: in 1957, his music as part of a Best Musical nomination for "Candide;" and in 1958, his music as part of a Best Musical nomination for "West Side Story."
21He led the New York Philharmonic in 40 works that they had never performed before.
22In collaboration with conductors Bruno Walter and Dimitri Mitropoulos, both former conductors of the New York Philharmonic, Bernstein was the first conductor to lead an all-Gustav Mahler symphonic cycle in New York, in 1961. It was that cycle that spurred the revival of interest in Mahler's symphonies, which is still going on today.
23It has been mistakenly assumed by some that all of Bernstein's New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts (1958) have been issued on VHS and DVD. They have not. There were more than 50 "Young People's Concerts" broadcast on CBS-TV between 1958 and 1973. Only the 25 concerts that the Bernstein family deemed the best were issued. The rest, as of 2004, have yet to be issued or even re-broadcast on television.
24He was one of the first conductors in the 20th century to record a performance of Georges Bizet's "Carmen" without the recitatives that composer Ernest Guiraud added to the opera to replace the dialogue after Bizet's death. Bernstein's production restored the spoken dialogue to its rightful place.
25The production of Candide was awarded a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 2000 (1999 season) for Outstanding Musical Production.
26A sickly infant, he sometimes turned blue from asthma. He became a prodigious pianist, conductor, composer and lecturer, although he suffered from asthma throughout his life. Audiences often heard him wheezing above the orchestra.
27Was appointed assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic in 1943 and made his debut on November 14 of that year, substituting for Bruno Walter on short notice. Awoke the next morning to find himself famous.
28He made at least one television appearance either conducting or teaching music (or both), nearly every year from 1954 until the year he died (1990). He is very likely the only symphony conductor ever to have done so.
29He was the first conductor to conduct more than 1,000 concerts with the New York Philharmonic.
30Was great friends with Aaron Copland
31Such world-famous musicians as pianist Andre Watts, conductor Seiji Ozawa and conductor Kenneth Schermerhorn were first introduced to the general public on his New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts (1958).
32He selected November 14, 1954, as the date for his first television lecture (the famous Omnibus (1952) episode featuring Ludwig van Beethoven's "Fifth Symphony"), because he had made his professional conducting debut 11 years previously on the same date, and he felt it brought him good luck.
33Because of his many appearances on television, Bernstein became the most popular and famous conductor in the US, and one of the most famous in the world, seen and loved by millions of families who tuned in to his pioneering New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts (1958). Through these concerts, children all over the world were introduced to classical music.
34He made his professional conducting debut on November 14, 1943, without even rehearsing the orchestra because there had not been enough time. He created a sensation partly because one of the pieces he conducted was Richard Strauss's enormously complicated symphonic poem "Don Quixote".
35Was the first American-born and American-trained conductor to be appointed music director of the New York Philharmonic and to conduct at Milan's La Scala Opera House.
36Graduated from Harvard.
37Conducted the world premiere of Charles Ives'' "Second Symphony" in 1951.
38Served as music director of the New York Philharmonic from 1958-69; took a one-year sabbatical in 1964-65. Was named laureate conductor for life when he stepped down from the music director's post.
39Caused a stir in April of 1962 when he informed the audience at a concert that he assumed no responsibility for the performance they were about to hear of Johannes Brahms' "D Minor Concerto" with soloist Glenn Gould.
40Was also a concert pianist.
41Died at home of a heart attack due to progressive lung failure.
42Conductor/composer.

Pictures

Movies

Soundtrack

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Magic of David Copperfield1978TV Special performer: "An American in Paris"
Het is weer zo laat!1978TV Series writer - 1 episode
Fidelio1978TV Movie performer: "Fidelio"
Pink Lips1977writer: "Tonight" - uncredited
Jimmy Carter's Inaugural Gala1977TV Movie music: "Take Care of This House"
America at the Movies1976Documentary music: "America"
The Story of Eloise1976writer: "New York, New York" - uncredited
The Unanswered Question: Six Talks at Harvard1976TV Mini-Series performer - 6 episodes
Bernstein in London1976TV Movie documentary "A Lincoln Portrait" / music: "An American in Paris", "The Unanswered Question", "The Stars and Stripes Forever", "Rhapsody in Blue"
Turn Me 'Round1975music: "Something's Coming" - uncredited
The Ernie Sigley Show1974-1975TV Series writer - 2 episodes
Bernstein in Australia1974TV Movie performer: "Symphony No. 6 Pathetique"
Conrack1974performer: "Fifth Symphony"
Pen Pals1974writer: "New York, New York" - uncredited
That's Entertainment!1974music: "New York, New York" 1944 - uncredited
Mary Tyler Moore1974TV Series music - 1 episode
Magnavox Presents Frank Sinatra1973TV Special documentary writer: "New York, New York"
The Graham Kennedy Show1973TV Series writer - 1 episode
John Lennon and Yoko Ono Present the One-to-One Concert1972TV Movie writer: "Somewhere"
New York Philharmonic Young People's ConcertsTV Series 1 episode, 1967 performer - 28 episodes, 1958 - 1972 music - 3 episodes, 1961 - 1963 writer - 1 episode, 1964
Four Ways to Say Farewell1971TV Movie performer: "Symphony No. 9" excerpts
Bernstein on Beethoven: A Celebration in Vienna1970TV Special documentary music: "Piano Concerto No. 1" excerpt / performer: "Fidelio" excerpts, "Symphony No. 9 in d Minor: Ode to Joy"
Liza1970TV Movie writer: "New York, New York"
Die Rudi Carrell Show1969TV Series music - 1 episode
Journey to Jerusalem1968Documentary "Violin Concerto in E Minor", "Symphony No. 2 in C Minor Resurrection", "Hatikvah"
Bewitched1967TV Series music - 1 episode
The Monkees1967TV Series writer - 1 episode
The Danny Kaye Show1963-1966TV Series music - 2 episodes
The Hollywood Palace1966TV Series music - 1 episode
La señora1965Short writer: "West Side Story" fragments
Shindig!1965TV Series music - 1 episode
Jazz 6251964TV Series writer - 1 episode
Daimei no nai ongakukai1964TV Series writer: "Candide"
John F. Kennedy Memorial Concert1963TV Movie performer: "Symphony No. 2" Resurrection
Je connais une blonde1963TV Movie music: "Tonight"
The Lively Ones1963TV Series music - 1 episode
Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall1962TV Special documentary writer: "History of Musical Comedy
The Bell Telephone Hour1962TV Series music - 1 episode
Tell It to Groucho1962TV Series writer - 1 episode
A Joyful Noise1961TV Movie performer: "Tres Petites Liturgies", "Gloria", "Psalm 98", "For Unto Us a Child is Born", "Magnificat", "Hodie"
West Side Story1961music: "Jet Song" 1957, "Something's Coming" 1957, "Maria" 1957 1957, "America" 1957, "Tonight" 1957, "Gee, Officer Krupke!" 1957, "I Feel Pretty" 1957, "One Hand, One Heart" 1957, "Quintet" 1957, "Somewhere" 1957, "Cool" 1957, "A Boy Like That/I Have a Love" 1957, "Somewhere" reprise 1957 - uncredited / writer: "Overture" 1957, "Prologue" 1957, "Dance at the Gym" 1957, "Intermission" 1957, "The Rumble" 1957, "End Credits" 1957 - uncredited
Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall1960TV Series music - 1 episode
Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in Berlin1960TV Movie documentary music: "Piano Concerto No. 1"
Rhythm1960TV Movie performer: "Symphony No. 7 excerpt, "Symphony in D" 4th Movement, "El Salon Mexico"
The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: To the Ladies1960TV Special music: "Lonely Town" - uncredited
The Creative Performer1960TV Movie documentary "Concerto in D Major for Harpsichord", "Suicidio"
The Infinite Variety of Music1959TV Movie performer: "Daphnis and Chloe: Suite No. 2" opening, "Death and Transfiguration" finale, "Symphony No. 5 Fourth Movement", final trio from "Der Rosenkavalier"
Wonderful Town1958TV Movie music: "Christopher Street", "Ohio", "One Hundred Easy Ways", "What a Waste", "A Little Bit in Love", "Conversation Piece", "A Quiet Girl", "Conga!", "My Darlin' Eileen", "Swing!", "It's Love", "Ballet at the Village Vortex" Instrumental, "Wrong Note Rag", "Finale: It's Love reprise"
The Ed Sullivan Show1958TV Series music - 1 episode
The Frank Sinatra Show1958TV Series music - 3 episodes
The Lux Show1957TV Series music - 1 episode
Satchmo the Great1957Documentary performer: "St Louis Blues"
OmnibusTV Series performer - 5 episodes, 1954 - 1957 music - 2 episodes, 1955 - 1956
Rear Window1954music: "Excerpt from 'Fancy Free'" 1944 - uncredited
The Frank Sinatra Show1950TV Series music - 1 episode
On the Town1949music: "New York, New York", "Miss Turnstiles", "Come Up to My Place", "A Day in New York", "I Feel Like I'm Not Out of Bed Yet" uncredited
Strictly Come DancingTV Series writer - 3 episodes, 2014 - 2016 music - 1 episode, 2016
Who's Doing the Dishes?2016TV Series writer - 2 episodes
Am I Ugly?2016Documentary short music: "I Feel Pretty" - uncredited
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon2014-2016TV Series music - 3 episodes
Show Jana KrauseTV Series lyrics - 1 episode, 2016 music - 1 episode, 2016
Castle2015TV Series writer - 1 episode
The Voice2015TV Series writer - 1 episode
The 69th Annual Tony Awards2015TV Movie music: "Lucky to Be Me", "New York, New York", "Times Square Ballet"
The Bronze2015writer: "Ohio"
Cristela2014TV Series writer - 1 episode
Naeildo kantabille2014TV Series writer - 2 episodes
Dancing with the StarsTV Series writer - 1 episode, 2014 music - 1 episode, 2009
Great PerformancesTV Series music - 5 episodes, 1999 - 2014 writer - 2 episodes, 2006 - 2014 lyrics - 1 episode, 2005
So You Think You Can Dance2009-2014TV Series music - 3 episodes
Beauty & the Beat: Tarja Turunen & Mike Terrana2014Video writer: "I Feel Pretty"
Naked2013/IVShort performer: "Kaiser-Walzer, Op. 437"
Six by Sondheim2013TV Movie documentary music: "Something's Coming" / writer: "Prologue and Jet Song"
The Paul O'Grady Show2013TV Series writer - 1 episode
1st Independent Video Film Festival of Youtube 20132013TV Movie music: "I Feel Pretty"
Secret Voices of Hollywood2013TV Movie documentary writer: "I Feel Pretty/A Boy Like That" from West Side Story
Bad Words2013performer: "Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21, 1. Adagio Molto; Allegro Con Brio"
14.000.000.000$!!!2013TV Series music - 7 episodes
The Vision of Paolo Soleri: Prophet in the Desert2013Documentary performer: "Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 op.67 4th Movement"
From Broadway with Love: A Benefit Concert for Sandy Hook2013TV Movie writer: "Somewhere"
Home & Family2013TV Series writer - 1 episode
The 67th Annual Tony Awards2013TV Movie documentary music: "I Like to Be on a TV Show/You Gotta Get a Series/Television Sucks/What I Did for Love"
Òpera en texans2013TV Series music - 1 episode
Something's Coming2012TV Short music: "Something's Coming"
The Simpsons1999-2012TV Series music - 4 episodes
Silver Linings Playbook2012writer: "Maria"
The Pervert's Guide to Ideology2012Documentary performer: "Symphony No.9 in D Minor"
BBC PromsTV Series music - 1 episode, 2012 writer - 1 episode, 2012
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted2012writer: "New York, New York"
Moonrise Kingdom2012"Volière, from Le Carnaval des animaux", "Pianistes, from Le Carnaval des animaux", "Le Coucou au Fond des Bois, from Le Carnaval des animaux", "Aquarium, from Le Carnaval des animaux" / performer: "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34: Themes A.-F.", "Volière, from Le Carnaval des animaux", "Pianistes, from Le Carnaval des animaux", "Le Coucou au Fond des Bois, from Le Carnaval des animaux", "Aquarium, from Le Carnaval des animaux", "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 3
Die Harald Schmidt Show2012TV Series writer - 1 episode
Game Change2012TV Movie writer: "I Feel Pretty"
Banda sonora2012TV Series music - 1 episode
Grey's Anatomy2012TV Series performer - 1 episode
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts2011TV Movie music: "Make Our Garden Grow"
Gent de paraula2011TV Series music - 2 episodes
GleeTV Series music - 4 episodes, 2009 - 2011 writer - 3 episodes, 2011
LA Phil Live2011TV Series writer - 1 episode
Misfits2010TV Series performer - 1 episode
Chico & Rita2010writer: "On the Town"
Britain's Got Talent2010TV Series music - 2 episodes
Lights Out2010writer: "Somewhere" from "West Side Story", 1957
One Night Only: Barbra Streisand and Quartet at the Village Vanguard - September 26,20092010Video writer: "Some Other Time"
Saturday Night Live2010TV Series music - 1 episode
50 años de2009-2010TV Series music - 2 episodes
Snow White2009TV Movie "Sehr langsam: O Mensch! Gib acht! - Partie II"
Curb Your Enthusiasm2009TV Series music - 1 episode
Dancing with the Stars2009TV Series writer - 1 episode
David Garrett Live in Berlin2009TV Movie writer: "Somewhere"
The 63rd Annual Tony Awards2009TV Special music: "The Rumble Tonight", "Tonight", "Tonight Finale" / writer: "Dance at the Gym"
La véritable histoire du Chat Botté2009writer: "I Feel Pretty"
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1940s: Stars, Stripes and Singing2009Video documentary music: "New York, New York" - uncredited
Precious2009/IIperformer: "No. 7 Librera Me"
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa2008writer: "Prologue"
Los grandes éxitos... y mucho más2008Video music: "Tonight"
Nancy LaMott: I'll Be Here with You2008Video writer: "Some Other Time"
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical Treasure2008TV Movie documentary music: "New York, New York" - uncredited
Beethoven: The Piano Concertos2007Video music: "Piano Concerto No. 3", "Piano Concerto No. 4", "Piano Concerto No. 5 Emperor"
Venezuelan Brass Ensemble: Gran Fanfare2007Video writer: "Dances from West Side Story"
Sarah Vaughan: Live in '58 & '642007Video music: "I Feel Pretty", "Maria" - uncredited
Kurt Masur: A Life in Music2007TV Movie music: "Mambo from West Side Story"
Ugly BettyTV Series music - 1 episode, 2007 writer - 1 episode, 2006
Austin City Limits2006TV Series documentary writer - 1 episode
The 60th Annual Tony Awards2006TV Special music: "Tonight"
Last Holiday2006writer: "I Feel Pretty"
The Berlin Concert2006TV Movie documentary writer: "West Side Story - Tonight"
The 59th Annual Tony Awards2005TV Special writer: "Somewhere"
SpongeBob SquarePants2005TV Series performer - 1 episode
American Idol2004-2005TV Series writer - 4 episodes
La neuvième2004TV Movie documentary performer: "9th Symphony"
The 58th Annual Tony Awards2004TV Special music: "Swing!"
The 76th Annual Academy Awards2004TV Special music: "Lost in Translation"
Harvie Krumpet2003Short performer: "Dies Irae from Messa da Requiem"
Australian Idol2003TV Series writer - 1 episode
The 57th Annual Tony Awards2003TV Special music: "New York, New York"
I Am David2003performer: "Winter from The Four Seasons"
Anger Management2003writer: "I Feel Pretty"
Six Feet Under2003TV Series writer - 1 episode
Lea Salonga Live2003Video documentary writer: "Something's Comin'"
Analyze That2002music: "Tonight" 1957, "I Feel Pretty" 1957, "Maria" 1957, "America" 1957, "Somewhere" 1957
Contact2002TV Movie performer: "Anitra's Dance", "Waltz", "Farandole"
Last Dance2002Documentary performer: "Songs to Poems from Des Knaben Wunderhorn"
The 56th Annual Tony Awards2002TV Special music: "New York, New York", "America"
Death to Smoochy2002writer: "I Feel Pretty"
Sex and the City2002TV Series music - 1 episode
Salvador Escamilla: 40 anys d'ofici2002TV Movie music: "Escamilla Maria"
Eden2001/Iperformer: "Langsam schleppend wie ein Naturlaut Symphony n°1"
Friends2001TV Series music - 1 episode
Top Ten2001TV Series documentary writer - 1 episode
Monarch of the Glen2000TV Series music - 1 episode
The Closer You Get2000writer: "America"
Man on the Moon1999performer: "Bartered Bride Overture" 1866
Bringing Out the Dead1999performer: "Le Sacre du Pintemps/The Rite of Spring"
Frasier1999TV Series writer - 1 episode
Österreich - Unser JahrhundertTV Series documentary performer - 1 episode, 1999 writer - 1 episode, 1999
Sarah Brightman in Concert1998TV Movie music: "Somewhere", "I Feel Pretty", "Tonight"
Rock Family Trees1998TV Series documentary writer - 1 episode
The Cruise1998Documentary performer: "Symphony No. 5 In B-Flat Minor"
He Got Game1998performer: "Interlude"
It's Tough to Be a Bug1998Short music: "I Feel Pretty", "Tonight"
Leonard Bernstein's New York1997TV Movie documentary music: "Tonight"
Pet Shop Boys: Somewhere1997Video documentary writer: "Somewhere"
The 51st Annual Tony Awards1997TV Special music: "Bon Voyage"
Mystery Science Theater 3000TV Series music - 13 episodes, 1989 - 1997 writer - 1 episode, 1993
Afterglow1997writer: "Somewhere"
The Devil's Own1997performer: "Voices of Spring, Op. 410"
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates1996TV Series music - 1 episode
Eddie1996writer: "NEW YORK, NEW YORK"
Kansanhuvit1996TV Series writer - 1 episode
The Sunchaser1996performer: "Appalachian Spring"
3rd Rock from the Sun1996TV Series music - 1 episode
Grumpier Old Men1995writer: "'Maria' From 'West Side Story'"
It Takes Two1995performer: "Hoe Down"
Barbra: The Concert1995TV Special documentary music: "Somewhere" 1957 - uncredited
Hamish Macbeth1995TV Series music - 1 episode
100 Years at the Movies1994TV Short documentary writer: "On the Waterfront" - uncredited
Bert1994TV Series 1 episode
The 3 Tenors in Concert 19941994TV Special music: "America" / writer: "Candide Overture"
Northern Exposure1994TV Series writer - 1 episode
The Nanny1994TV Series music - 1 episode
My Life1993performer: "William Tell-Overture"
The Age of Innocence1993performer: "Artist's Life"
Malcolm X1992writer: "Big Stuff"
The Wonder YearsTV Series music - 1 episode, 1992 writer - 1 episode, 1989
Quantum Leap1992TV Series writer - 1 episode
MGM: When the Lion Roars1992TV Mini-Series documentary music - 1 episode
Un, dos, tres... responda otra vez1992TV Series music - 1 episode
Waiting for God1991TV Series music - 1 episode
The Metropolitan Opera Presents1991TV Series music - 1 episode
Defending Your Life1991music: "Something's Coming"
Sleeping with the Enemy1991music: "THE JET SONG"
Designing Women1991TV Series music - 1 episode
Breakfast with the Arts1991TV Series music - 1 episode
Alice Cooper Trashes the World1990Video writer: "Gutter Cat Vs The Jets"
Leonard Bernstein in Salzau1990Video performer: "Romeo et Juliette" excerpts
The Earth Day Special1990TV Special music: "Somewhere"
The 43rd Annual Tony Awards1989TV Special writer: "Dance at the Gym"
Another Woman1988"Symphony No.4 in G Major" 1901
Jean Sibelius: Symphonie No. 2 D-dur1988TV Movie performer: "Symphony No. 2 in D Major"
A Capitol Fourth1987TV Movie writer: "Candide Overture"
It's Garry Shandling's Show.1987TV Series music - 2 episodes
A Musical Toast: The Stars Shine on Public Television1987TV Movie music: "Some Other Time" / performer: "Some Other Time"
Zeppelin - Das fliegende Schiff1987Video documentary performer: "Mars, the Bringer of War" - uncredited
The 40th Annual Tony Awards1986TV Special music: "It's Love", "America"
One Voice1986TV Special documentary writer: "Somewhere", "Something's Coming"
Beyond Picasso1986Short "Overture Candide"
The Making of 'West Side Story'1985TV Movie documentary "West Side Story" / music: "West Side Story"
That's Dancing!1985Documentary music: "Cool"
The 38th Annual Tony Awards1984TV Special music: "Something's Comming"
Bernstein: Conductor, Soloist, Teacher1984TV Movie performer: "Piano Concerto No. 17", "Symphony No. 39"
Terms of Endearment1983music: "Gee, Officer Krupke" 1961
The Return of Captain Invincible1983music: "New York, New York"
The Magic of David Copperfield V1983TV Movie performer: "An American in Paris" - uncredited
A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy1982performer: "Symphony No. 3 Scottish in A Minor" 1842
Sinatra: Concert for the Americas1982Video music: "Prologue" from 'West Side Story', "The Jet Song" From 'West Side Story' - uncredited
The Dick Cavett Show1980-1981TV Series writer - 2 episodes
Heaven's Gate1980performer: "An der schönen, blauen Donau On the Beautiful Blue Danube, Op. 314" as "The Blue Danube Waltz"
The 34th Annual Tony Awards1980TV Special music: "America"
The Late Late Lien Show1979TV Series music - 1 episode
De Mike Burstyn show1979TV Series writer - 1 episode
The Muppet ShowTV Series music - 2 episodes, 1978 - 1979 writer - 1 episode, 1976

Writer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Trouble in Tahiti2001TV Movie libretto
Candide1991TV Movie lyrics / narrative written by
Teachers and Teaching: An Autobiographical Essay by Leonard Bernstein1988TV Movie documentary
Bernstein on Mahler1985TV Movie documentary script
The Unanswered Question: Six Talks at HarvardTV Mini-Series script - 5 episodes, 1976 script and narration for 'Oedipus Rex' - 1 episode, 1976
Leonard Bernstein Rehearses Mahler1975TV Movie documentary uncredited
What Makes a Gershwin Tune a Gershwin Tune?1974TV Movie commentary
New York Philharmonic Young People's ConcertsTV Series 25 episodes, 1959 - 1972 script - 22 episodes, 1958 - 1968 written by - 3 episodes, 1969 - 1970 script by - 2 episodes, 1963 - 1964 writer - 1 episode, 1963
Gustav Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde1971TV Movie documentary commentary
Bernstein on Beethoven: A Celebration in Vienna1970TV Special documentary
Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution1967TV Movie documentary Mr. Bernstein's material
The Drama of Carmen1962TV Movie documentary
Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in Japan1962TV Movie documentary
Drama Into Opera: Oedipus Rex1961TV Movie
Romanticism in Music1961TV Movie
Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in Berlin1960TV Movie documentary
Rhythm1960TV Movie
The Creative Performer1960TV Movie documentary
The New York Philharmonic in Venice: The Ageless Mozart1959TV Movie
The Infinite Variety of Music1959TV Movie script
Preview: Beethoven's Ninth Symphony1958TV Movie script
OmnibusTV Series 1 episode, 1957 script - 5 episodes, 1954 - 1958
Trouble in Tahiti1952TV Movie

Music Department

TitleYearStatusCharacter
West Side Story2016Video stock music completed
Shakespeare Live! From the RSC2016TV Movie
American Classics with Audra McDonald & American Ballet Theatre2015Video stock music
Bernstein & Bizet2015Video stock music
Live from Lincoln CenterTV Series composer - 2 episodes, 2013 orchestrator - 1 episode, 1986
Great PerformancesTV Series music by - 1 episode, 2005 orchestrator - 1 episode, 2005
Leonard Bernstein: Candide2003TV Movie music by
Candide1991TV Movie conductor / music by / orchestrator
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem1988TV Special conductor
Side by Side by Sondheim1987TV Movie music: from "West Side Story"
Haydn: Die Schöpfung1986TV Special conductor
Der Rosenkönig1986conductor: "The Unanswered Question"
The Making of 'West Side Story'1985TV Movie documentary orchestrator
Schumann: The Symphonies1984TV Mini-Series conductor - 1 episode
Fidelio1978TV Movie conductor
Franz Liszt: Faust-Symphonie in drei Charakterstudie nach Johann Wolfgang v. Goethe1976TV Special conductor
Gustav Mahler: Symphonie Nr. 81975TV Movie documentary conductor
Gustav Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde1972TV Movie conductor
Oedipus Rex1972TV Special conductor
Bernstein on Beethoven: A Celebration in Vienna1970TV Special documentary conductor / musician: piano
Bernstein in London: Verdi's Requiem1970TV Special conductor
New York Philharmonic Young People's ConcertsTV Series conductor - 1 episode, 1964 music director - 1 episode, 1963 musician - 1 episode, 1962
West Side Story1961music by
Romanticism in Music1961TV Movie conductor
Gunmen from Laredo1959composer: stock music - uncredited
Screaming Mimi1958composer: stock music
The Case Against Brooklyn1958composer: stock music - uncredited
Omnibus1954-1958TV Series conductor - 6 episodes
On the Town1949based upon the musical play: lyrics by / based upon the musical play with music by
The Black Parachute1944composer: stock music - uncredited

Composer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
West Side Storytime2014Short original music by
Loistokaupunki1966TV Movie
West Side Story1961
Wonderful Town1958TV Movie
The Lark1957TV Movie
On the Waterfront1954
Trouble in Tahiti1952TV Movie

Actor

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Candide1991TV MovieCommentator
Schumann: The Symphonies1984TV Mini-SeriesDirigent
New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts1964TV SeriesWith
Omnibus1956TV SeriesLeonard Bernstein

Thanks

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Anita no perd el tren2001grateful acknowledgment
Shrunken Heads1994acknowledgment
Clive James' Postcard from...1990TV Series documentary with thanks to - 1 episode
That's Entertainment!1974acknowledgment: composer of the words and music

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Beethoven: The Piano Concertos2007VideoHimself - Conductor
Brahms: The Piano Concertos2007VideoHimself (conductor)
The Love of Three Orchestras1993TV Movie documentaryHimself
Jean Sibelius: Symphonie No. 1, E moll1991TV MovieHimself - Conductor
Leonard Bernstein in Salzau1990VideoHimself (conductor)
Clive James' Postcard from...1990TV Series documentaryHimself
The Berlin Celebration Concert1989TV Movie documentaryHimself - Conductor and Commentator
Great Performances1974-1989TV SeriesHimself
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem1988TV SpecialDirigent
Jean Sibelius: Symphonie No. 2 D-dur1988TV MovieHimself - Conductor
Teachers and Teaching: An Autobiographical Essay by Leonard Bernstein1988TV Movie documentaryHimself - Narrator and Conductor
American Masters1987TV Series documentaryHimself
Carnegie Hall: The Grand Reopening1987TV MovieHimself
A Musical Toast: The Stars Shine on Public Television1987TV MovieHimself
Leonard Bernstein: 'The Rite of Spring' in Rehearsal1987TV MovieHimself
Haydn: Die Schöpfung1986TV SpecialHimself - Conductor
Karsh: The Searching Eye1986DocumentaryHimself
The Making of 'West Side Story'1985TV Movie documentaryHimself - Conductor
Night of 100 Stars II1985TV MovieHimself
The 27th Annual Grammy Awards1985TV SpecialHimself
Bernstein on Mahler1985TV Movie documentaryNarrator / Conductor
Tanglewood: A Place to Make Music1985TV MovieHimself
Wurlitzer1985TV SeriesHimself
Bernstein: Conductor, Soloist, Teacher1984TV MovieHimself
Joseph Haydn Mass: In Tempore belli1984TV MovieHimself
The Metropolitan Opera: Centennial Gala1983TV SpecialHimself
Seven Portraits1983ShortHimself
Zubin and the I.P.O.1983TV Movie documentaryHimself
The Levin Interviews1982TV SeriesHimself
Bernstein/Beethoven1982TV Mini-Series documentaryHimself (conductor)
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts1980TV SpecialHimself - Honoree
Benjamin Britten: A Time There Was...1979TV Movie documentaryHimself
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts1979TV SpecialHimself - Presenter: Aaron Copland
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts1978TV MovieHimself
Leonard Bernstein: Reflections1978TV Movie documentaryHimself
Jimmy Carter's Inaugural Gala1977TV MovieHimself
Chichester Psalms/Symphony #1 'Jeremiah'/Symphony #2 'The Age of Anxiety'1977TV Special documentaryHimself - Conductor
The Unanswered Question: Six Talks at Harvard1976TV Mini-SeriesHimself - Conductor and Commentator / Himself - Commentator and Conductor
Bernstein in London1976TV Movie documentaryHimself - Conductor
Franz Liszt: Faust-Symphonie in drei Charakterstudie nach Johann Wolfgang v. Goethe1976TV SpecialLeitung
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto1976TV MovieHimself - Conductor
Gustav Mahler: Symphonie Nr. 81975TV Movie documentaryHimself - Dirigent
The CBS Festival of Lively Arts for Young People1974-1975TV SeriesHimself (conductor and commentator) / Himself
Leonard Bernstein Rehearses Mahler1975TV Movie documentaryHimself (narrator and conductor)
What Is Noise and What Is Music?1975TV MovieHimself
Bernstein in Australia1974TV MovieHimself - Conductor
Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor (Resurrection)1974TV MovieHimself (conductor)
P.I. Tschaikowsky: Symphony No. 51974TV MovieHimself - Conductor
What Makes a Gershwin Tune a Gershwin Tune?1974TV MovieHimself
A Musical Celebration to Stephen Sondheim1973TV MovieHimself
Gustav Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde1972TV MovieHimself - Dirigent
Oedipus Rex1972TV SpecialConductor
C'è musica & musica1972TV Series documentaryHimself
New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts1958-1972TV SeriesHimself - Commentator and Conductor / Himself - Conductor and Commentator
The 14th Annual Grammy Awards1972TV SpecialHimself
Musik zum Ansehen1972TV SeriesHimself
Das Lied von der Erde: A Personal Introduction1972TV Movie documentaryHimself (conductor and commentator)
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 91972TV MovieHimself - Conductor
Music on 21971TV SeriesHimself - Conductor
Four Ways to Say Farewell1971TV MovieHimself - Conductor
Gustav Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde1971TV Movie documentaryHimself (conductor and commentator)
Bernstein on Beethoven: A Celebration in Vienna1970TV Special documentaryHimself / Narrator
Aquarius1970TV SeriesHimself
Bernstein in London: Verdi's Requiem1970TV SpecialConductor
Bernstein in Vienna: Beethoven - The Ninth Symphony in D Minor1970TV MovieHimself - Conductor
The 23rd Annual Tony Awards1969TV SpecialHimself - Winner: Special Award
Tienerklanken1966-1968TV SeriesHimself - Conductor of New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Journey to Jerusalem1968DocumentaryHimself
Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution1967TV Movie documentaryHimself
Sunday Night1966TV Series documentaryHimself
John F. Kennedy Memorial Concert1963TV MovieHimself - Conductor
Opening Night at Lincoln Center1962TV Movie documentaryHimself
The 14th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards1962TV SpecialHimself - Winner
The Drama of Carmen1962TV Movie documentaryHimself - Commentator and Conductor
Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in Japan1962TV Movie documentaryHimself - Commentator and Conductor
A Joyful Noise1961TV MovieHimself - Conductor
Drama Into Opera: Oedipus Rex1961TV MovieHimself - Conductor and Commentator
Romanticism in Music1961TV MovieHimself - Commentator and Conductor
Omnibus1954-1961TV SeriesHimself / Himself - Conductor and Commentator / Himself - Conductor
Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in Berlin1960TV Movie documentaryHimself - Commentator and Conductor
Rhythm1960TV MovieHimself (commentator and conductor)
The Creative Performer1960TV Movie documentaryHimself - Commentator and Conductor
Startime1959TV SeriesHimself
The New York Philharmonic in Venice: The Ageless Mozart1959TV MovieHimself - Commentator and Conductor
Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in Moscow1959TV Movie documentaryHimself - Commentator and Conductor
Monitor1959TV Series documentaryHimself
The Infinite Variety of Music1959TV MovieHimselfs-sConductor / Commentator
Preview: Beethoven's Ninth Symphony1958TV MovieHimself - Conductor and Commentator
The Ed Sullivan Show1958TV SeriesHimself
Satchmo the Great1957DocumentaryHimself - Leonard Bernstein - Orchestra Leader
Person to Person1955TV Series documentaryHimself

Archive Footage

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Duels2016TV Series documentaryHimself
60 Minutes2006-2012TV Series documentaryHimself / Himself (segment "The Entertainers")
Great Performances1993-2007TV SeriesHimself
Live from Lincoln Center2006TV SeriesHimself
Secrets of New York2005TV Series documentaryHimself
20th Century Greats2004TV Mini-Series documentaryHimself
La neuvième2004TV Movie documentaryHimself (uncredited)
Fanfare for America: The Composer Aaron Copland2001TV Movie documentaryHimself
Life and Times2000TV Series documentaryHimself
Österreich - Unser Jahrhundert1999TV Series documentaryHimself
American Masters1998TV Series documentaryHimself
Harmoniques1998TV Series documentaryHimself
Biography1995TV Series documentaryHimself
Carnegie Hall at 100: A Place of Dreams1991Video documentaryHimself
Henry Fonda: The Man and His Movies1982TV Movie documentaryHimself (uncredited)

Awards

Won Awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovie
2016OFTA Film Hall of FameOnline Film & Television AssociationBehind the ScenesMusic
2014IFMCA AwardInternational Film Music Critics Award (IFMCA)Best Archival Release of an Existing Score - Re-Release or Re-RecordingOn the Waterfront (1954)
1987Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Individual Achievement - Classical Music/Dance Programming - PerformingCarnegie Hall: The Grand Reopening (1987)
1976Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Classical Music ProgramGreat Performances (1971)
1972Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Single Program - Variety or Musical - Classical MusicBeethoven's Birthday: A Celebration in Vienna with Leonard Bernstein (1970)
1965Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment - Actors and PerformersNew York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts (1958)
1961Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Achievement in the Field of Music for TelevisionLeonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in Berlin (1960)
1958Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsBest Musical Contribution for TelevisionOmnibus (1952)
1957Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsBest Musical Contribution for TelevisionOmnibus (1952)

Nominated Awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovie
2015GrammyGrammy AwardsBest Musical Theater Album
1991GrammyGrammy AwardsBest Music Video - Long Form
1985Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Classical Program in the Performing ArtsLeonard Bernstein Conducts West Side Story (1985)
1984Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Classical Program in the Performing ArtsGreat Performances (1971)
1982Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Classical Program in the Performing ArtsBernstein/Beethoven (1982)
1975Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Classical Music ProgramGreat Performances (1971)
1957Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsBest Male Personality - Continuing Performance
1955OscarAcademy Awards, USABest Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy PictureOn the Waterfront (1954)

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia

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