A concert celebrating the centenary of the birth of American composer Leonard Bernstein will be held by the US Embassy at Robert Samut Hall, Floriana, tomorrow at 8pm.

Bernstein was among the first conductors born and educated in the US to receive worldwide acclaim. According to music critic Donal Henahan, he was “one of the most prodigiously talented and successful musicians in American history”.

His fame derived from his long tenure as the music director of the New York Philharmonic, from his conducting of concerts with most of the world’s leading orchestras, and from his music for US stage productions West Side Story, Peter Pan, Candide, Wonderful Town, On the Town, On the Water-front, his Mass and a range of other compositions, including three symphonies and many shorter chamber and solo works.

The concert, entitled Bernstein on Broadway, will feature excerpts from Bernstein’s music performed by baritone Kurt Ollmann and soprano Mckenzie Thomas, accompanied on the paino by John Ferguson.

The concert Bernstein on Broadway will be performed at Robert Samut Hall, Floriana, tomorrow at 8pm. Admission is free and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. For further information e-mail usembassy@state.gov.

John Ferguson. Right: Leonard Bernstein.