Serene Karplus, Nederland.  A worldwide celebration, “Bernstein at 100” brings to life the music and legacy of one of the giants of the 20th century. Many immediately associate Leonard Bernstein with his more than 200 recordings conducting the New York Philharmonic or as the composer of the ever-popular and much-loved musical “West Side Story.” He is famed not only as a composer and conductor, but also as an educator, musician, cultural ambassador and humanitarian.

His brilliant start began with his education at Boston Latin School, Harvard, and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. The list of his teachers and mentors throughout these formative years in the 1930s, is its own book of Who’s Who. His thorough education served him well, as he was named the Assistant Conductor of the New York Philharmonic only four years after his graduation. When the boss, Conductor Bruno Walter, took ill with the flu one day and Bernstein had to step in with only a few hours notice, unrehearsed, for a Carnegie Hall concert and national broadcast, his immense success launched a meteoric rise to fame and international acclaim.

Having studied at the newly formed Tanglewood in 1940, he stepped up in 1951 to head the orchestral and conducting departments there, later forming training orchestras and similar major festivals throughout the world. This was the same year he married the Chilean actress and pianist, Felicia Montealegre, who bore him three children.

Bernstein became Music Director of the New York Philharmonic in 1958. During the next eleven years, he led more concerts with the orchestra than any previous conductor and was granted the lifetime title of Laureate Conductor, making frequent guest appearances with the orchestra.

His compositions covered a vast array of styles as he wrote for small ensembles, orchestras, Broadway, film and opera houses. His sound was influenced by composers ranging from Benjamin Britten and Dimitri Shostakovich to George Gershwin and Aaron Copland, creating a voice known for its iconic urban edge and unique rhythms.

Bernstein’s many achievements were never enough. He constantly thirsted for more knowledge, driven by a passion to share what he learned and help others see both music and a world of peace through his eyes. He asked listeners to allow music to be its own story, separate from the ones we tell with words and images, and to love all music, not considering one genre superior to another; all are valuable expressions.

Music Director Marin Alsop says of the man affectionately referred to as LB: “The thing that set LB apart was not only his embracing of the story, but his profound understanding that every story has a moral that connects all of us on the most basic human level.” His daughter Jamie claims, “He loved people and was curious about everything. Those are good traits in a teacher.”

When devastating world events dominated the news and shook his sense of peace and decency, Bernstein believed that creating beauty and sharing it as widely as possible was the best way to overcome violence and advocate brotherhood. After the assassination of President Kennedy, he said: “This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.” He demonstrated his concept that creating and appreciating harmony builds the human capacity to replicate that very same harmony in the greater world in which we live.

His daughter also says, “When he conducted Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Berlin on Christmas Day of 1989 to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall, the feeling that he had attempted to convey all his life was at its most palpable: that if enough hearts would open themselves to the beauty of great music, there would be no room left in any of those hearts for evil, greed or hate.”

In our own backyard, University of Colorado at Boulder’s Music Department hosts twenty events celebrating this genius, culminating in his popular work, “West Side Story” the last weekend of October. Join us in attending this show or any of the many events leading up to it as listed at https://www.colorado.edu/event/bernstein/

All ages of adults are welcome at all events, attended mostly by folks over age 50. Sign up for all meals and events at 303-258-0799 or Meetup.com/Mountain-MidLife-Social-Group or by email at NederlandAreaSeniors@gmail.com. Meals are served at the Nederland Community Center. Please call two days ahead for lunch reservations (more for dinners and breakfasts if possible). Missed the deadline? Call anyway. Costs listed show first the over-age-60 requested anonymous contribution, then the under-age-60 price. Please note that all over age 60 are welcome at meals regardless of ability to contribute financially.