By Ron Barnell
Earlier this summer, the Boston Symphony unveiled a bronze sculpture of iconic conductor/composer Leonard Bernstein at Tanglewood, its summer home. The bust of Bernstein was done by New England artist Penelope Jencks and commissioned by film composer John Williams, who is the laureate conductor of the Boston Pops and a frequent guest at Tanglewood. In 1940, Bernstein was in the first class in conducting at the newly established Tanglewood Music Center, which was founded by longtime Boston Symphony conductor Serge Koussevitsky. Bernstein had a close association with Tanglewood for many years as both conductor and teacher.
The Bernstein piece sits in the Highwood estate on the Tanglewood grounds. The bronze sculpture of American composer Aaron Copland is in the formal gardens near the Tappan House. A bust of Koussevitsky, once it is finished, will complete the homage-in-stone to a trio of Tanglewood musical legends. The Koussevitsky bust will be sculpted out of New England granite and could possibly be placed in the Koussevitsky Music Shed.
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