Leonard Bernstein
Composer
(August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) Leonard Bernstein was an American composer, conductor, music educator, pianist and writer. A Renaissance man, he was one of the most celebrated Americans of the 20th century.
He dabbled in many genres, including opera, musical theater, jazz, symphonic music, ballet, chamber music, film and theatre music. His Broadway musical West Side Story is perhaps his most famous work, and became the Academy Award-winning feature film.
As music director of the New York Philharmonic, Bernstein was the first American-born conductor to head an American orchestra and achieve international acclaim. He was instrumental in reviving the music of Gustav Mahler.
Bernstein was also the first conductor to use television as a means of sharing music with a wider audience, taping dozens of national and international broadcasts, including his Emmy Award-winning Young People's Concerts.
A champion of human rights, Bernstein supported the Civil Rights Movement, fought for nuclear disarmament, protested the Vietnam War and helped raise money for HIV/AIDS research.
Bernstein won eleven Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, seventeen Grammy Awards, and the Kennedy Center Honor.