Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, and educator known for leading the New York Philharmonic and creating works such as West Side Story. He advocated for music’s social power, famously urging that the reply to violence is to make music more intensely, more beautifully, and more devotedly than ever before.
Quotes by Leonard Bernstein
Quotes: 2
When Music Becomes a Defiant Answer to Violence
Leonard Bernstein’s sentence reframes retaliation: instead of returning harm, we intensify creation. He voiced it in the days following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy (Nov. 1963), writing in the New York Times that the artistic response to brutality must be more music, made with greater care and love. This was no abstraction. Bernstein soon dedicated his Symphony No. 3, Kaddish (1963), to Kennedy’s memory, insisting that lament could be transfigured into resolve. In doing so, he offered artists a moral posture: answer destruction not with silence or despair, but with a redoubled devotion to craft and communion. [...]
Created on: 9/12/2025
To Achieve Great Things, Two Things Are Needed: A Plan and Not Quite Enough Time - Leonard Bernstein
This quote emphasizes that having a well-thought-out plan is crucial for achieving great accomplishments. Without a clear roadmap, efforts can become aimless and less effective. [...]
Created on: 7/2/2024