Leonard Bernstein features

See more Leonard Bernstein features

The 10 best pieces of music by American maestro and composer, Leonard Bernstein.

Leonard Bernstein: 10 best pieces of music by the American maestro

Beethoven and West Side Story

Leonard Bernstein borrowed a famous Beethoven melody for West Side Story’s most emotional scene
Yannick Nézet-Séguin on teaching Bradley Cooper to conduct

‘He should pursue conducting’ – the real maestro who taught Bradley Cooper to conduct like Bernstein
Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein, conducting the London Symphony Orchestra in Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony in Ely Cathedral.

Bradley Cooper spent six years learning to conduct ‘six minutes of music’ for epic ‘Maestro’ scene
Leonard Bernstein with his daughter Jamie

Leonard Bernstein’s daughter Jamie: ‘I wish my father was around to see Maestro!’

Leonard Bernstein conducted a monumental Beethoven symphony to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall.

When Leonard Bernstein conducted an ‘Ode to Freedom’ after the fall of the Berlin Wall

Best classical music

See more Best classical music

The 15 most famous tunes in classical music

The 15 most famous tunes in classical music

Discover Music

Best symphonies: Ludwig van Beethoven, Antonin Dvorak and Florence Price

The 15 greatest symphonies of all time

Discover Music

4 eras of classical music

The 4 eras of classical music: a quick guide

Discover Music

A young Marin Alsop, Sir Simon Rattle, and Seiji Ozawa conduct their respective orchestras.

The 25 greatest conductors of all time

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Hildegard von Bingen, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Edward Elgar among the greatest composers in classical music history.

30 of the greatest classical music composers of all time

Best pianists of all time

The 25 best pianists of all time

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Latest on Classic FM

What are the lyrics to ‘O Come O Come Emmanuel’?

What are the lyrics to ‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’, and what is the Christmas carol really about?

Christmas

From Mary Had a Little Lamb to Humpty Dumpty - the best nursery rhymes

10 best nursery rhymes ever written

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Once in Royal David's City

What are the lyrics to ‘Once in Royal David’s City’ – and who composed it?

Christmas

Classic FM is the home of Christmas music

Advent music: 10 best carols and hymns to begin the festive season

Christmas

Classic FM’s radio highlights for Christmas 2023, from carol concerts to the nativity

Classic FM at Christmas: radio highlights in 2023

Christmas

Maria Callas’ most iconic photographs

Maria Callas’ most iconic photographs, on her 100th anniversary

Maria Callas

The 10 best pieces of music by German composer Gustav Mahler.

10 of Mahler’s most earth-shattering pieces of music

Mahler

Jonas Kaufmann performs during a dress rehearsal at Sydney Opera House in 2023

Who is Jonas Kaufmann, the German opera singer often called ‘the world’s greatest tenor’?

Jonas Kaufmann

Classic FM Live with Viking

Classic FM Live returns to the Royal Albert Hall for a night of classical music anthems

Events

Colette Maze, who became the oldest pianist to record an album aged 108, has died at the age of 109.

World’s oldest recording pianist, the inspiring Colette Maze, dies aged 109

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