Latest News
- Close Encounters with Arias and Barcarolles In 1989, pianist and New York Festival of Song co-founder Steven Blier took a bold leap: he co-presented the U.S. premiere of the definitive version of Arias and Barcarolles, one of Leonard Bernstein’s final—and deeply personal—works. From learning the score from a Xeroxed manuscript to weathering puzzled critics to celebrating the recording's Grammy-win, Blier recounts how a scrappy young concert series helped bring Bernstein’s intimate valedictory portrait to life. Read February 13, 2026
- French Trumpet Soloist Honored with 2026 Leonard Bernstein Award This year’s Leonard Bernstein Award at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival goes to rising star Lucienne Renaudin Vary. Celebrated for her virtuosity and genre-blending artistry, she reflects Bernstein’s spirit of creativity and openness. Catch her prizewinner concert on August 21, 2026, for a program of Haydn, Gershwin, and more! Read February 13, 2026
- Bernstein in a Blizzard Amid a bitter New York City winter, two extraordinary concerts brought warmth to the city’s heart. From the New York Philharmonic’s Radio City Music Hall debut under Gustavo Dudamel to the Met Orchestra at Carnegie Hall with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Jamie Bernstein shares her reflections on both evenings, which celebrated the charm, energy, and lasting magic of Leonard Bernstein’s music. Read February 13, 2026
- New Album! Esther Yoo - Love Symposium Anchored by Leonard Bernstein’s Serenade (after Plato’s Symposium), a philosophical meditation on love, this album traverses love in its many guises through works such as Gustav Mahler’s Adagietto and Ralph Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending. Read February 13, 2026
- Leonard Bernstein and Humphrey Burton: A Shared Life in Music In this remembrance, Helena Burton reflects on Leonard Bernstein’s lasting presence in her family’s life and the extraordinary bond between Bernstein and her father, Humphrey Burton. A moving portrait of friendship, music, and chosen family. Read January 20, 2026
- Remembering Humphrey Burton (1931-2025) Jamie Bernstein offers a tribute to Leonard Bernstein's long-time colleague and friend. Read January 20, 2026
- Artful Learning Update: What Will Your Legacy Be? Artful Learning Executive Director Patrick Bolek on the program’s inspiring work at Legacy School Arkansas Arts Academy. Read December 16, 2025
- Aaron Copland at 125: A Defining Musical Friendship A look at the musical friendship of Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein on the occasion of Copland's 125th birthday. Read November 18, 2025
- Thank You, Dear Alexander Here’s to Alexander Bernstein—our founder, advocate, philanthropist, and champion of teachers and students across the nation, through his evocative methodology, Artful Learning. Read October 17, 2025
- Alexander Bernstein’s Artful Learning Legacy Alexander oversaw the birth, the development, and the spread of Artful Learning schools, now 17 of them in the U.S. Read October 15, 2025
- Preserving Bernstein’s Legacy Through Film The Leonard Bernstein Office has donated nearly 2,000 rare video and audio tapes to the Library of Congress, preserving Bernstein’s iconic televised performances, educational programs, and never-before-seen footage for future research and discovery. Read October 14, 2025
- West Side Story Returns to Dutch Theaters After 25 years, a Dutch version of the musical WEST SIDE STORY is finally returning to theaters! De Graaf & Cornelissen Entertainment is bringing a new take on the unforgettable tale of forbidden love, rivalry, and prejudice. Read October 14, 2025
- Bernstein and Shostakovich: Bearing Witness Joseph Horowitz’s "Bernstein and Shostakovich: Bearing Witness" examines how both composers used music as testimony to the crises of their times—Bernstein as a prophetic cultural humanist confronting America’s decline, and Shostakovich as a Mahlerian voice of truth and resilience under oppression—revealing their shared role in bearing witness to the 20th century. Read September 10, 2025
- Martha Graham Dance Company to Premiere Leonard Bernstein Work The Martha Graham Dance Company premieres En Masse, a new work choreographed by Hope Boykin with music by Leonard Bernstein. Read September 3, 2025
- From the Archives: The Politics of Play by Alexander Bernstein as published in the 1992 Fall issue of Prelude, Fugue & Riffs Read August 19, 2025
- LA Opera Kicks Off 40th Season with West Side Story LA Opera Kicks Off 40th Season with West Side Story Read July 17, 2025
- Rehearsals underway for West Side Story in Rome Rehearsals are underway in Rome for Teatro dell’Opera di Roma’s new production of West Side Story, directed by Damiano Michieletto and conducted by Michele Mariotti. This striking new staging will come to life amid the majestic ruins of the Baths of Caracalla, offering a breathtaking backdrop for the musical. Read June 23, 2025
- The Leonard Bernstein Circle at the New York Philharmonic There are different tiers of support for donors the New York Philharmonic. The highest level is known as the Leonard Bernstein Circle, and its mission speaks to one of his primary concerns: “serving over 40,000 learners every year through our education and community engagement programs.” Read June 18, 2025
- Chichester Cathedral Unveils Plaque Honoring Leonard Bernstein Chichester Cathedral has unveiled a new plaque within the Cathedral Quarter dedicated to Leonard Bernstein. Read May 20, 2025
- New York Times Guest Essay: Our Dad, Leonard Bernstein, Would Want His Music Played at the Kennedy Center We invite you to read the Bernstein Family’s Guest Essay, published today in The New York Times. Read May 2, 2025