Essay on Leonard Bernstien A Legendary Composer - 1377 Words

Leonard Bernstein is seen as one of the greatest composers in America. Bernstein composed great music, conducted great music, and also preformed great music as a pianist. Bernstein is probably most known for his film score in the production West Side Story. According to The New York Times, he was one of the most prodigiously talented and successful musicians in American history.† Being born and educated in the United States, Bernstein was the first American to obtain worldwide acclaim. He is also cited in the Encyclopedia of World Biography, that â€Å"his special gift of bridging the gap between the concert hall and the world of Broadway made him one of the most glamorous musical figures of his day.† Bernstein was born in August 25, 1918,†¦show more content†¦She said that â€Å"His brain was on fire with curiosity. And what he loved most was to communicate his excitement to others.† Bernstein was greatly involved at Harvard. He was an avid member of the Harvard Glee Club. After graduating from Harvard, Bernstein continued to study music in Philadelphia at Curtis Institute of Music. At this school, Bernstein studied orchestration. According to New World Encyclopedia, Bernstein received the only ‘A’ that Fritz Reiner ever gave out in his conducting class. While at Curtis, Bernstein studied with, and was influenced by, great musicians and pianists, such as Heinrich Gebhard and Isabella Vengerova. After studying at Curtis, Bernstein attended the Berkshire Music Festival that following summer. That summer he met Serge Koussevitzky. He became the protà ©gà © of Koussevitzky. Bernstein blossomed from his educational successes and later, in 1943, caught his big break, according to PBS. Bernstein was signed on as the assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Bernstein received this honor by the recommendation of Koussevitzky, according to the Gale Encyclopedia of Biography. One night on short notice, he had to fill in for Bruno Walter. PBS said â€Å"Bernstein found himself on the cover of The New York Times — an instant celebrity. Within two years he was named the director of the New York City Symphony.† The orchestra was