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Leonard Bernstein, Leonard Bernstein in 1971.His signature.Leonard Bernstein (pronounced /ˈbɜrnstaɪn/, US dict: bûrn′·stīn; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim. According to The New York Times, he was one of the most prodigiously talented and successful musicians in American history. He was probably best known to the public as the longtime music director of the New York Philharmonic, for conducting concerts by many of the worlds leading orchestras, and for writing the music for West Side Story, as well as Candide, Wonderful Town, and On the Town. Bernstein was the first conductor to give numerous television lectures on classical music, starting in 1954 until his death. He was a skilled pianist, often conducting and playing piano concertos at the same time. As a composer he also wrote symphonies and other concert music, but most of his fame as a composer during his lifetime was based on the tremendous success of West Side Story.