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As 20th century American composers go, only a handful of names rise to the level of a Mozart or Beethoven for those outside the classical music world. This fall, the College of Music joins a worldwide celebration of one of them as it puts on CU Bernstein at 100.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an opportunity to celebrate American music, music education and humanitarianism through music and the arts.鈥�

Professor of Piano Andrew Cooperstock is organizing this coming together in the name of Leonard Bernstein. Most well known as the composer of the timeless musicals 鈥淲est Side Story鈥� and 鈥淐andide,鈥� Bernstein was also a conductor鈥攎ost famously leading the New York Philharmonic for 40 years鈥攁n educator, a humanitarian and a writer.

Bernstein, the icon

Born in Massachusetts in 1918, Leonard Bernstein began his prolific career taking piano lessons as a boy. After graduating from Harvard, he soon became a musical force to be reckoned with, conducting ensembles around the world and composing dozens of jazz numbers, symphonies, solo piano works and more from the 1940s until his death in 1990.

Cooperstock鈥攚ho released the of Bernstein鈥檚 complete solo piano works last year鈥攕ays first and foremost, Bernstein was a communicator. 鈥淭hrough being a soloist, conductor, writer, speaker, television personality or lecturer, he was communicating his ideas through music. And to me that鈥檚 what music is all about.鈥�

During a time when the influence of the 19th century European romantics still dominated new music, Cooperstock says Bernstein was one of the few composers in the U.S. to search for a truly American voice.

鈥淕ershwin, Copland and Bernstein were using folk, gospel, jazz, the wide-open spaces of the West and the streets of New York to create really American scenes, and I find that fascinating,鈥� Cooperstock explains. 鈥淭hey experimented with different styles鈥攕ome more popular, some more serious鈥攖o create something unique.鈥�

Bernstein also made it a priority to support young musicians and composers, pioneering his illustrative Young People鈥檚 Concerts to open children鈥檚 eyes to music through interactive, televised performances with the New York Philharmonic. This could perhaps be why, nearly 30 years after his death, his impact is still felt in the hundreds of music halls around the world showcasing Bernstein鈥檚 music this year.

Bernstein 100 years later

CU Bernstein at 100 brings together the College of Music, the Program in Jewish Studies and the Department of Cinema Studies & Moving Image Arts for several weeks of concerts, panel discussions and film screenings. Headlining the event are three visitors with unique perspectives on the composer鈥檚 life: Bernstein scholar and Harvard University musicologist Carol Oja, former New York Philharmonic concertmaster Glenn Dicterow and Bernstein鈥檚 daughter, Jamie.

鈥淭he events at 精品SM在线影片 perfectly demonstrate how the Leonard Bernstein at 100 festivities are bringing Bernstein right into the student community,鈥� says Jamie Bernstein, who recently published a book, 鈥淔amous Father Girl: A Memoir of Growing Up Bernstein.鈥�

She continues, 鈥淭his is one of so many ways that young people can discover my father's multifaceted gifts to the world: his musical compositions, from the concert hall to Broadway and beyond; his recordings and videos as a world-class conductor; his celebrated role as 鈥楢merica's music teacher鈥� and his lifelong work as an activist trying however he could to make the world a better place. I hope that after this exciting week of activities, 精品SM在线影片 will have turned into one big Bernstein fan club!鈥�

Bernstein, Oja and Dicterow will be in Boulder the final week of September, beginning with a colloquium moderated by the new director of the American Music Research Center, Susan Thomas, on Sept. 24. The following evening, Jamie Bernstein hosts a special Faculty Tuesday performance of her father鈥檚 chamber music, and on Thursday, Sept. 27, she will narrate a CU Symphony Orchestra concert featuring a guest performance by Dicterow.

A few weeks later, CU Bernstein at 100 wraps up with a film screening of 鈥淲est Side Story,鈥� accompanied by a panel discussion with Eklund Opera Program Director Leigh Holman and Department of Cinema Studies & Moving Image Arts Director Ernesto R. Acevedo-Mu帽oz, and Eklund Opera鈥檚 production of 鈥淲est Side Story.鈥� Cooperstock says it鈥檚 fitting to cap off the festival with the classic retelling of 鈥淩omeo and Juliet鈥� set in 1950s New York.

鈥淚t brings together all aspects of Bernstein. The music, the story, the social aspects,鈥� he says.

Virtually every corner of the College of Music will program Bernstein鈥檚 works during September and October; to view a full list of events鈥�including the kickoff CU on the Weekend talk presented by the Music Theory area on Saturday, Sept. 8鈥�visit .

Bernstein, the inspiration

For Cooperstock, orchestrating CU Bernstein at 100 has become a personal tribute to the formative impact the icon had on his own musical journey.

鈥淚鈥檝e been familiar with his music my whole life. He lived during my time and he was from my country and I feel like I can relate well to his music. His music expresses something about culture and humanity.鈥�

And as the College of Music prepares to celebrate its own 100th birthday in 2020, Cooperstock says the college-wide celebration of Bernstein鈥檚 centennial comes at a perfect time.

鈥淎s we consider听the purpose of music education going forward, there鈥檚 no better musical figure than Bernstein to urge us to think about the importance of the arts. I also feel like one of Bernstein鈥檚 missions was to bring people together, and that鈥檚 my vision for this festival.鈥�