Composer of the Week - Leonard Bernstein - Early Influences

Donald Macleod explores the extraordinary life of Leonard Bernstein; inexhaustible conductor, educator, performer and personality. Despite his prowess on the podium, Bernstein considered himself to be first and foremost a composer. The first programme explores his early influences, from weekly visits to the local synagogue in Boston, to his years as a student at Harvard University. A chance meeting with Aaron Copland led to Bernstein's entree into New York's elite cultural circles.