Leonard Bernstein

8x10 monochrome photo signed and inscribed in red marker. Bernstein's music didn't really come to my attention until I was in high school, although I did hear some of his recordings when I was younger (e.g., Peter and the Wolf). Bernstein's recordings were my introduction to the works of both Aaron Copland and Gustav Mahler. I performed several of his compositions while I was going through undergrad - my favorite being the overture from Candide. For me, Bernstein's greatest legacy is as an educator and communicator - popularizing the world of classical music.

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) was a world-renowned American composer, conductor, and long-term music director of the New York Philharmonic. He was one of the few 20th century conductors to gain super-star status, and won 16 Grammy awards (among other honors) over the course of his career. Bernstein passed away from a heart attack on October 14, 1990, just five days after announcing his retirement.

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John Williams

5x7 photo signed in black marker. I sent a letter and a photo to Mr. Williams in April 2013, and received this back in the mail this morning. I've been a fan of Mr. Williams' music for a long time - the first album I ever bought was "By Request: The Best of John Williams and The Boston Pops" on cassette. I played it so often that I wore it out. I replaced it with a CD (the first music CD I ever purchased), and eventually wore that copy out as well. Now I'm on my third copy of the album. Since it's on my iPod now, hopefully I won't wear it out again. I had the chance to see Mr. Williams conduct the Boston Pops in June 2013, but unfortunately didn't have the opportunity to meet him afterward. I wanted to have a chance to speak with him, not just because I love his music, but because I'm friends with a former student of his who was my accompanist throughout undergrad while I was working on my music degree. Hopefully I'll have the chance to see him conduct again sometime soon.

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