IU Jacobs School of Music receives contents of Leonard Bernstein’s Connecticut studio

Leonard Bernstein, famed musician and teacher, dedicated his life to music, and now his children will donate almost all the contents of his studio to IU.

The Jacobs School of Music announced Monday plans to recreate Bernstein’s studio and display his items in the same arrangement as they existed in his Connecticut workspace.

As an award-winning conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist, Bernstein developed a long-standing relationship with the Jacobs School of Music for almost 20 years before his death in 1990.

“He felt strongly about the school,” said Phil Ponella, director of the William and
Gayle Cook Music Library and curator of the collections. “His family was ready to deal with his items, and they thought of us and trusted us with the items.”

Alain Barker, director of marketing and publicity for the Jacobs School of Music, said IU’s selection as the gift recipient was ideal, and Bernstein’s children chose it because of his strong relationship with IU and history with the music school.

Ponella said the donation includes a conducting stool from the Vienna Philharmonic – thought to have been used by Johannes Brahms – manuscripts, pencils, rulers and his 39 Grammy Award nomination plaques.

The campus location for Bernstein’s collection has yet to be decided. Barker said the decision is dependent on the new North Faculty Studio Building, which the music school will begin building next fall.

A temporary display of a few of the items will be exhibited in the Musical Arts Center lobby, and Ponella said they will likely move to the music library.

Craig Urquhart, vice president of public relations and promotions at the Leonard Bernstein office and former personal assistant to Bernstein, said the studio was completely documented in photographs before it was disassembled.

“We felt it was time to look at his workspace in a more intimate manner,” Urquhart said. “It was also about finding the right historical and educational connection.”

Ponella said the studio will be used for other purposes as well.

The replicated studio will be open as a teaching studio for esteemed guests and opened to viewing for students, faculty and the general public, according to an IU press release.

“It is a tremendous inspiration for students and faculty to see what was in his collection,” Ponella said. “He is perhaps the greatest musician of all time as well as composer and educator.”