Leonard Bernstein is one of the most significant musicians in the history of the United States. He was the first conductor born in the United States and trained exclusively in his home country to develop an international profile. Most famous as music director of the New York Philharmonic from 1958 to 1969, Bernstein spent far longer as a guest conductor who developed substantive relationships with several major ensembles. He was a composer, conductor, and has made significant contributions as a composer of concert music and scores for musical theater. He was also an excellent pianist, well known for playing piano concertos while he directed the ensemble from the keyboard. Few 20th-century American composers have made such important contributions in each of the areas of symphonic music, ballets, and musical theater.
Historical Dictionary of Leonard Bernstein contains a chronology, an introduction, an appendix, an extensive bibliography, and more than 700 cross-referenced entries on Bernstein's life and works. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Leonard Bernstein.