Leonard Bernstein was an American composer, conductor, author, music lecturer, and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the US to receive worldwide acclaim.
His fame derived from his long tenure as the music director of the New York Philharmonic, from his conducting of concerts with most of the world's leading orchestras, and from his music for West Side Story, Peter Pan, Candide, Wonderful Town, On the Town, On the Waterfront, Mass, and a range of other compositions, including three symphonies and many shorter chamber and solo works.
Bernstein was the first conductor to give a series of television lectures on classical music, starting in 1954 and continuing until his death. He was a skilled pianist, often conducting piano concertos from the keyboard.
His works are still being celebrated. A new film version of West Side Story directed by Steven Spielberg released December, 2021.
In 1951, he married actor Felicia Cohn Montealegre. In The Leonard Bernstein Letters, Felicia writes, "you are a homosexual and may never change — you do not admit to the possibility of a double life, but if your peace of mind, your health, your whole nervous system depend on a certain sexual pattern what can you do?"[1]
Although they seemed to have loved each other very much, they did eventually divorce, and he pursued relationships with men. When she was diagnosed with lung cancer, Bernstein moved back in with her to nurse her.
He clearly had a strong preference for men, and most of his relationships were with men. At one point, his friend Shirley Rhoads Perle said, "he required men sexually and women emotionally." However, it seems like his marriage to Felicia was a happy one for a number of years, and they had three children together.
He also had a long-term relationship with Kunihiko Hashimoto, a Tokyo insurance lawyer. The two met when the New York Philharmonic was performing in Tokyo. It was a long-distance affair, but according to letters, they both cared about each other deeply.[2]
"Dearest Lenny: Letters from Japan and the Making of the World Maestro" by Mari Yoshihara goes into detail about their letters and relationship, including interviews with Hashimoto. The book also includes other letters Bernstein received from Japanese fans.[50]