Leonard Bernstein: Teaching and Television
In the early days of television, the weekly magazine series Omnibus provided viewers with a thoroughly absorbing experience of arts and culture. Over the run of the series, Leonard Bernstein emerged as one of the more renowned teachers on television, hosting several episodes focused on music and theater. The live television format provided the opportunity to highlight Bernstein’s passionate performance style as well as his deep knowledge and intelligent discourse. This special event hosted by Marie Carter and Craig Urquhart, Vice Presidents of the Leonard Bernstein Office, focuses on Bernstein’s skill as a teacher of music and musicians. Included in the program are excerpts from Bernstein’s contributions to the Omnibus series, in particular “The Art of Conducting”, the Young People's Concerts, his Harvard Norton Lectures and his Unitel series with the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival (Germany). The programs are indicative of Bernstein’s charismatic presence on the small screen and provide a compelling portrait of his role as a teacher.