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US conductor, composer and writer Leonard Bernstein smokes a cigarette in Bonn, West Germany, June 15, 1976. Born on August 25, 1918 in Lawrence, Massachussetts/USA, Bernstein resolved on a music career only after graduating from Harvard University. After studying conducting at the Curtis Institute, fame came abruptly when he substituted on short notice at a concert broadcast in 1943. In 1944 he triumphed with his music for J. Robbins's ballet "Fancy Free" and the hit Broadway show "On the Town". As conductor, his closest associations were with the Israel, New York, and Vienna Philharmonics; he premiered much contemporary music and was instrumental in the G. Mahler revival. His best-known composition was the hit musical "West Side Story" (1957). Well known as a television lecturer, he was also a prominent political activist. Bernstein died on October 14, 1990 in New York. (KEYSTONE/DPA/BONNER FOTOGRAFEN/Str) === , ===