Leonard Bernstein's early life and education laid the foundation for his future success as a conductor, composer, and pianist.
Birth
August 25, 1918
Leonard Bernstein was born as Louis Bernstein in Lawrence, Massachusetts, to Russian Jewish/Ukrainian Jewish parents, Jennie (née Resnick) and Samuel Bernstein.
Harvard University
1935-1939
Bernstein attended Harvard University, where he took courses in music theory with Arthur Tillman Merritt and counterpoint with Walter Piston.
Curtis Institute of Music
1939-1941
Bernstein studied conducting with Fritz Reiner and orchestration with Randall Thompson at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
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