Leonard Bernstein’s Net Worth Reflected His Huge Contribution To Music
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He’s considered one of the greatest contributors to American music, and Leonard Bernstein’s net worth reflects that. The 2023 biological drama Maestro recounts the life of this prolific composer, with Bradley Cooper in the leading role.
Born on August 25, 1918, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, to Ukrainian-Jewish immigrants, Bernstein showed an early interest and talent in music, learning the piano from a young age. His family recognized his musical abilities and provided him with opportunities for formal training. As a young adult, Bernstein attended Harvard University, where he studied music with Walter Piston among others and graduated in 1939.
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Following this, he studied conducting at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia with Fritz Reiner, though as the New York Times observed in his obituary: “Mr. Bernstein’s own exuberant podium style seemed modeled more on that of Serge Koussevitzky, the Boston Symphony’s music director. The neophyte maestro churned his arms about in accordance with some inner message, largely ignoring the clear semaphoric techniques described in textbooks. Often, in moments of excitement, he would leave the podium entirely, rising like a rocket, arms flung aloft in indication of triumphal climax.”
Bernstein’s career took off in 1943 when he filled in as a last-minute substitute conductor for the New York Philharmonic, leading to widespread acclaim. This marked the beginning of his association with the orchestra, and he became the music director of the New York Philharmonic in 1958, a position he held until 1969. He was the first American-born conductor to lead the Philharmonic. During his tenure, he conducted more concerts with the orchestra than any previous conductor.
As a composer, Bernstein is perhaps best known for his musical West Side Story, a modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The show premiered on Broadway in 1957 and became a massive success, solidifying Bernstein’s reputation. At the time of his death, Leonard Bernstein’s net worth was distributed so that it could benefit all aspiring maestros.
Leonard Bernstein’s net worth
Leonard Bernstein’s net worth was around $10 million at the time of his death in 1990 (Celebrity Net Worth), which by 2023 standards is $22 million. Bernstein passed away on October 14, 1990, at the age of 72.
According to an article published by the LA Times, the conductor and composer directed that his multimillion-dollar estate be held in trust equally for his three children—Jamie Bernstein Thomas, born in 1952; Alexander Bernstein, born in 1955; and Nina Bernstein Simmons, born in 1962—with income from the estate to be distributed quarterly to them.
The paper reported: “Bernstein made an additional $1-million contribution to the Spring Gate Corp., set up in 1958 to handle Bernstein’s charitable work, for distribution of his personal effects such as music material, manuscripts, scrapbooks and correspondence to such institutions as the Harvard University Library and the Library of Congress.”
Months prior to his death, Bernstein received the Praemium Imperiale (lifetime achievement award) from the Japan Arts Association, which awarded him a $100,000 prize. He used that money to build the Leonard Bernstein Center for Education Through the Arts in Nashville, which opened in 1992.
In addition to his conducting and composing, Bernstein was an influential music educator. He delivered a series of televised lectures on classical music, known as the “Young People’s Concerts,” which were aimed at educating a younger audience about music. These programs reached a wide audience and contributed to Bernstein’s reputation as a music educator.
After leaving the New York Philharmonic in 1969, Bernstein continued to guest conduct around the world. He composed music for various genres, including symphonies, operas, ballets, and film scores. Bernstein’s influence extended beyond classical music, as he was involved in various social and political causes.
Bradley Cooper’s ‘Jewface’ controversy
As mentioned, Bradley Cooper starred as Bernstein in Netflix’s biopic Maestro, and his wife Felicia Montealegre is played by Carey Mulligan. Many people called out Cooper for “Jewface” since the actor is not Jewish and his transformation included the use of a prosthetic nose to accentuate his facial features.
“remember how bradley cooper basically stole the rights for this film from a jewish man who had been passionately trying to make it for years? and now he’s wearing prosthetic nose to play a jewish man and directing it himself,” one user posted. Another posted, “bradley cooper is putting himself in an insanely large prosthetic nose to play a jewish man in maestro and we’re all just supposed to act like that’s cool and normal ?”
One user even put a side-by-side comparison between Leonard Bernstein and Bradley Cooper’s faces. “just looked up a picture of the real leonard bernstein…. the big antisemitic prosthetic nose on bradley cooper was definitely not necessary….”
In a statement on Leonard Bernstein’s social media, his children spoke out on the backlash Cooper has received for his portrayal. “Bradley Cooper included the three of us along every step of his amazing journey as he made his film about our father,” wrote Jamie, Alexander and Nina Bernstein. “We were touched to the core to witness the depth of his commitment, his loving embrace of our father’s music, and the sheer open-hearted joy he brought to his exploration.”
The film also stars Maya Hawke as their daughter Jamie, Sam Nivola as their son Alexander, and Alexa Swinton as their daughter Nina. Additional cast members include Matt Bomer, Sarah Silverman, Gideon Glick, Michael Urie and Miriam Shor. The film premiered at the 80th Venice Film Festival on September 2 and was the spotlight gala film at New York Film Festival on October 2, 2023. The movie will then have a limited theatrical window starting Nov. 22 before hitting Netflix on December 20, 2023.
Sarah Silverman has spoken about Jewish representation in media and how non-Jews consistently play Jews on screen. “In a time when the importance of representation is seen as so essential and so front and center, why does ours constantly get breached even today in the thick of it?” Silverman asked.
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