Leonard Bernstein

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) was an American conductor of the New York Philharmonic and composer of the musical scores for West Side Story, On the Town, and Candide.

He was politically liberal and filmed at least one commercial urging Americans to vote against the election of President Ronald Reagan. Perhaps because of his liberal political advocacy, the media popularized Bernstein and made him the best known conductor of his time among the American public.

Bernstein helped Classical music reach millions of children through his "Young People's Concerts" and gained worldwide critical success as a pianist, composer, and conductor. His multiple talents led him to established reputations as a conductor of traditional literature (Mozart, Beethoven, etc.), the high Romantics (Mahler and Bruckner), and especially opera, for which he became highly admired in the leading opera houses of the world. Like George Gershwin, he was eager to straddle the classical and popular music worlds and did so in music halls, jazz clubs, opera halls, television, and the avante garde scene.