Program

Public Programs: Humanities Projects in Media

Period of Performance

9/1/1999 - 12/31/2004

Funding Totals

$188,000.00 (approved)
$188,000.00 (awarded)


Leonard Bernstein: An American Life

FAIN: GN-25751-99

CultureWorks, Ltd. (Philadelphia, PA 19143-1868)
Steven Rowland (Project Director: February 2000 to March 2005)

Funding details:
Original grant (1999) $60,000.00
Supplement (2000) $128,000.00

A ten-hour documentary radio series featuring Leonard Bernstein, post-war America, and Bernstein's social and cultural milieu.





Associated Products

Leonard Bernstein: An American Life (Radio/Audio Broadcast or Recording)
Title: Leonard Bernstein: An American Life
Writer: Steve Rowland
Writer: Larry Abrams
Director: Steve Rowland
Producer: Steve Rowland
Abstract: an 11-hour biographical documentary radio series narrated by actress Susan Sarandon this program was heard on over 700 public radio outlets in the United States and is considered one of the most highly successful specials in the history of public radio.
Date: 10/01/05
Primary URL: http://wfmt.com/bernstein
Primary URL Description: website of WFMT Fine Arts Radio Network
Format: Radio

Prizes

Peabody Award
Date: 10/1/2004
Organization: University of Georgia, Peabody Awards
Abstract: This 11-part radio documentary, hosted by Susan Sarandon, is an extraordinarily detailed account of Leonard Bernstein's life and career. In production for more than six years, the programs consider Bernstein not as a classical musician who happened to foray into popular music, but as a musician who embraced the whole range of American musical culture. Through his roles as conductor, educator, and composer of symphonic and theater music, Bernstein responded to and changed the course of music, influencing several generations of musicians and listeners. Through over 15,000 never-before published letters written to and from Bernstein, hundreds of hours of rare archival audiotapes, and more than 100 exclusive interviews, Leonard Bernstein: An American Life composes an audio symphony themed around the 20th Century American musical giant. The series follows Bernstein's days as a student, to his early successes on Broadway, through his time as the director of the New York Philharmonic.