Leonard Bernstein

Leonard Bernstein (August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American composer and orchestra conductor. He was the first conductor born in the United States of America to receive world-wide acclaim, and is known for both his conduct

Leonard Bernstein (August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American composer and orchestra conductor. He was the first conductor born in the United States of America to receive world-wide acclaim, and is known for both his conducting of the New York Philharmonic, including the acclaimed Young People's Concerts series, and his multiple compositions, including West Side Story and Candide.

Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts in 1918 to a Jewish family from Rovno, Russia. His grandmother insisted his first name to be Louis, but his parents always called him Leonard, as they liked the name better. He had his name changed to Leonard officially when he was sixteen. His father, Sam Bernstein, was a businessman, and initially opposed Bernstein's interest in music. Despite this, the elder Bernstein frequently took Louis, as his son was then called, to orchestra concerts. One time, Bernstein heard a piano performance and was immediately captivated; he subsequently began learning the piano at a young age. During this time, Bernstein attended Boston Latin School.