Honoring A Legend

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) was one of the most iconic and gifted American musicians of the 20th century. As a composer (with works including such masterpieces of musical theater as West Side Story, On The Town, Candide, and Wonderful Town), conductor, and pianist, he attained one peak of achievement after another during a career that spanned more than four decades. He also made his mark as an educator — for example, as conductor of the New York Philharmonic's now-legendary televised "Young People's Concerts," which introduced classical music to an audience of millions internationally.

Now, in honor of what would have been Bernstein’s 100th birthday, Lyric is thrilled to present "Celebrating 100 Years of Bernstein" on March 10, 2018 at 7:30pm. The concert is Lyric’s contribution to a year-long series of events taking place across the world to honor the musical genius. The evening will feature renowned international opera stars Susan Graham and Nathan Gunn, two-time Tony-nominated Broadway singer and actress Kate Baldwin, and the Lyric Opera Orchestra under the baton of acclaimed conductor David Chase. 

The concert will begin with Bernstein’s captivating one-act opera Trouble in Tahiti. Starring Susan Graham as Dinah and Nathan Gunn as Sam, the opera examines an average American couple balancing the struggles and boredom of marriage with their desire to recapture their initial love and intimacy (Graham starred as Didon/The Trojans, 2016/17 and Gunn starred as Figaro/The Barber of Seville, 2013/14). The second half of the concert will feature Kate Baldwin (last seen at Lyric in The King and I in 2016) and the Lyric Opera Orchestra, and will include beloved gems from Bernstein’s extensive vocal catalog. 

There will also be a 30-minute pre-concert talk, featuring the evening’s conductor David Chase, beginning at 6:30pm. Single tickets for "Celebrating 100 Years of Bernstein" are available now at lyricopera.org/Bernstein or by calling 312-827-5600. You won’t want to miss this extraordinary night of music honoring this incredible, larger-than-life legend!