Leonard Bernstein: the composer

Piano virtuoso, brilliant composer, peerless conductor, devoted teacher… Leonard Bernstein had talent and charisma in spades, but in this playlist we're focusing on his remarkable gift for composition. Curious by nature and a voracious music lover, "Lenny" tried his hand at many different genres and left behind a vast repertoire: more than 90 works, with something to suit every taste! He is best known for his musicals (especially West Side Story and On the Town) and his opera Candide, but he wrote just as compellingly for the piano and chamber ensembles, among others. Check out some of our favorite Bernstein selections below:

• The beloved Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
• Three Dance Episodes from On the Town performed by NYO2
• Wonderful Town with Sir Simon Rattle
•  from Peter Pan, interpreted by the great Nina Simone
• The Serenade for Violin, Strings, Harp, and Percussion with Janine Jansen
• The Candide Overture from the New York Philharmonic's 2008 concert in Pyongyang
• "I Hate Music" sung by Christa Ludwig
• An unforgettable jazzy rendition of  from West Side Story by Sarah Vaughan
• The Sonata for Clarinet and Piano from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's 50th anniversary concert
• An excerpt from the "Kaddish" Symphony No. 3, part of the superb program celebrating Bernstein's 100th birthday (with plenty of other highlights by Yo-Yo Ma, John Williams, Midori, and more!)
• Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs for solo clarinet and jazz ensemble

And that's just for starters—keep exploring our catalogue for even more concerts featuring Bernstein's spirited music!