Leonard Bernstein: The Power of Music

Producer: Karen Smyles

The National Museum of American Jewish History is celebrating the centennial birthday of one of the 20th century’s most influential figures in music. The exhibition Leonard Bernstein: The Power of Music will be up until September 2nd, 2018 and focuses on his life, work, and story through a lens that hasn’t really been explored before.

Friday Arts talks with Ivy Weingram, curator for the exhibition, about many facts most people are probably not aware of. Bernstein was known to have strongly reacted to the many social and political crises of his time. We also could have had a very different story than the one we all know and love as West Side Story.

We also meet and hear from Bernstein’s daughter Jamie, about living with and loving the musician adored by so many, who was just “Daddy” to her and her sibilings. She feels visitors will leave the exhibition with a taste of how many sides there were to his life and legacy.

 
A Conversation with Jamie Bernstein
Edited by Eliot Muka

Jaime Bernstein, daughter of Leonard Bernstein, discusses what it was like growing up with one of the world’s most well known conductors and her new book Famous Father Girl: A Memoir of Growing Up Bernstein.