Biography
Brilliant, protean musical composer whose ouptut ranged from symphonies and the ballet "Fancy Free" (1943) to hit Broadway musicals "On the Town" (1944) and "West Side Story" (1957). Bernstein's film work was occasional but distinguished, notably his "On the Town" (1949), "On the Waterfront" (1954) and "West Side Story" (1961).
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Career Milestones
| Played piano for musical group, The Revuers (Adolph Green, Betty Comden, Judy Holliday), at Village Vanguard, New York | ||
1940 | Worked at Harms-Remick music publishing company, writing popular arrangements under pseudonym, Lenny Amber (Bernstein in English) (date approximate) | |
1942 | Composed first symphony, "Jeremiah" (Symphony No. 1) | |
1942 | Hired by Artur Rodzinski as assistant conductor of New York Philharmonic | |
1943 | Substituted for Bruno Walter as conductor of New York Philharmonic concert on November 14 | |
1944 | Composed first ballet score, "Fancy Free" | |
1944 | Scored first Broadway musical, "On the Town | |
1947 | Made principal conductor of New York Philharmonic | |
1949 | First film credit (song composer), "On the Town" | |
1953 | Was first American-born conductor to be engaged by La Scala in Milan, Italy | |
1954 | First original film score, "On the Waterfront" | |
1957 | Made co-director of New York Philharmonic (with Dimitri Mitropoulos) | |
1958 | First American-born director of New York Philharmonic | |
1973 | As Charles Eliot Norton Professor of History at Harvard, lectured on linguistics as applied to musical analysis | |
1993 | Honored with the renaming of 65th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue as Leonard Bernstein Place | |
Awards
1953 | Tony Award for Musical |
1954 | Academy Award for Music (Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) in On the Waterfront |
1957 | Primetime Emmy Award for Best Male Personality-Continuing Performance |
1957 | Primetime Emmy Award for Best Musical Contribution in Omnibus |
1958 | Primetime Emmy Award for Best Musical Contribution in Omnibus |
1961 | Grammy Award for Best Documentary or Spoken Word Recording (Other Than Comedy) |
1961 | Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children |
1962 | Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children |
1963 | Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children |
1964 | Grammy Award for Album of the Year -- Classical |
1967 | Grammy Award for Album of the Year – Classical |
1969 | Tony Award for Special Award |
1972 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Program - Variety or Musical |
1973 | Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording |
1975 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Classical Music Program in Bernstein at Tanglewood |
1976 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Classical Music Program in Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic |
1977 | Grammy Award for Best Classical Album |
1987 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement - Classical Music-Dance Programming - Performing in Carnegie Hall: The Grand Reopening |
1989 | Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance |
1990 | Grammy Award for Best Classical Album |
1990 | Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Composition |
1990 | Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance |
1991 | Grammy Award for Best Classical Album |
1992 | Grammy Award for Best Classical Album |
1992 | Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance |