1918-1942
1918
Born August 25, Lawrence, Massachusetts, first child of Samuel and Jennie Bernstein.
1932
First piano recital; began piano studies with Helen Coates, who later became Bernstein's secretary.
1935
Graduated from Boston Latin School; freshman year at Harvard University; piano studies with Heinrich Gebhard.
1937
First professional appearance as a solo pianist with orchestra; first met Aaron Copland, Adolph Green and Dimitri Mitropoulos.
1938
Music editor, Harvard Advocate.
1939
Graduated from Harvard cum laude in music; composed and conducted incidental music for a production of Aristophane's The Birds; entered Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia. Conducting studies under Fritz Reiner; piano studies with Isabelle Vengerova; orchestration with Randall Thompson; score-reading with Renee Longy Miquelle.
1940
Conducting studies under Serge Koussevitzky at Berkshire Music Center, Massachusetts, now Tanglewood Music Center.
1941
Graduated from Curtis Institute.
1942
First published work, Sonata for Clarinet and Piano; assistant to Koussevitzky at Tanglewood; moved to New York; completed First Symphony, Jeremiah.
