The Leonard Bernstein Collection, ca. 1920-1989

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Leonard Bernstein Timeline 1918-1990

1918-1942

1918

Born August 25, Lawrence, Massachusetts, first child of Samuel and Jennie Bernstein.

1932   

First piano recital; began piano studies with Helen Coates, who later became Bernstein's secretary.

1935   

Graduated from Boston Latin School; freshman year at Harvard University; piano studies with Heinrich Gebhard.

1937   

First professional appearance as a solo pianist with orchestra; first met Aaron Copland, Adolph Green and Dimitri Mitropoulos.

1938   

Music editor, Harvard Advocate.

1939   

Graduated from Harvard cum laude in music; composed and conducted incidental music for a production of Aristophane's The Birds; entered Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia. Conducting studies under Fritz Reiner; piano studies with Isabelle Vengerova; orchestration with Randall Thompson; score-reading with Renee Longy Miquelle.

1940   

Conducting studies under Serge Koussevitzky at Berkshire Music Center, Massachusetts, now Tanglewood Music Center.

1941   

Graduated from Curtis Institute.

1942   

First published work, Sonata for Clarinet and Piano; assistant to Koussevitzky at Tanglewood; moved to New York; completed First Symphony, Jeremiah.

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