Last time we looked at famous American
composer, conductor, and educator Leonard Bernstein. Many believe he was
related to composer Elmer Bernstein (1922–2004) but in fact, the two were good
friends, but no relation.
Elmer Bernstein was a child prodigy,
first coming to music through the piano. He studied at Juilliard where he
pursued both piano and composition studies. Though he hoped to develop a career
as a concert pianist, his dreams were interrupted with the onset of WWII.
During the war, he was able to keep himself in the music world by assisting in
the arrangement of American songs for Glenn Miller and the Air Force Band. He
also did work for the Armed Forces Radio programs, which developed his passion
for composition.
Following the war, Bernstein received an
invitation to go to Hollywood and write for film. Some of the films you may
know him for are The Ten Commandments (1956),
The Magnificent Seven (1960), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), and The Great Escape (1963). He even won an
Oscar for his work as music director for Thoroughly
Modern Millie (1967).
What’s your favorite Elmer Bernstein
score?
