Leonard Bernstein Cause Of Death

Leonard Bernstein was one of the most prolifically accomplished and successful musicians in American history.

Bernstein received numerous awards, including seven Emmys, two Tonys, sixteen Grammys, including Lifetime Achievement, and the Kennedy Center Honours. His impact on the world of music is unrivalled.

Bernstein was the first conductor born in the United States to lead a large American symphony orchestra. He was the New York Philharmonic’s music director and conducted the world’s top orchestras, leaving a large legacy of audio and video recordings.

How did Bernstein die?

Bernstein died on October 14, 1990, in his New York apartment at The Dakota, of a heart attack caused by mesothelioma, five days after announcing his retirement from conducting. He was 72 years old at the time.

On the day of his funeral procession through Manhattan’s streets, construction workers removed their hats and waved, shouting “Goodbye, Lenny.”  Bernstein is buried next to his wife in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, with a copy of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony open to the famous Adagietto resting across his heart.