Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)

American

Candide, West Side Story, On the Town

• Bernstein became an overnight sensation when he was asked to fill in as a conductor with only a 24 hour notice. The repertoire was difficult, but the performance he conducted made the front page of The New York Times.
• Bernstein was a close family friend of the Kennedy family. He performed for John F. Kennedy’s inauguration.
• His original name was Louis.