It Happened Here

Leonard Bernstein, famous for such productions as "Candide" and "West Side Story," premiered his one-act opera "Trouble in Tahiti" at the first Brandeis festival of the arts, in 1952. The annual festival was renamed in Bernstein's honor in 2005.

Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts

April 9 to 13, 2008

The Festival of the Creative Arts was founded in 1952 by legendary American composer and Brandeis faculty member Leonard Bernstein. It is dedicated to his belief that “the art of an era is a reflection of the society in which it is produced, and through creative endeavors the thoughts and expression which characterize each generation are revealed and transformed.”

The annual five-day festival features more than 100 exhibitions and performances by international, national and regional artists, actors and musicians, as well as by Brandeis students and faculty.

The 2007 Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts broke previous attendance records, drawing an estimated 5,000 people. The highlight was the annual Performing Arts Festival culminating in a concert of Leonard Bernstein’s "Peter Pan."

Learn more about the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts