The Seckerson Tapes: Lenny Bernstein's right-hand man, Craig Urquhart

Frank talk about living and working at the right hand of a musical superstar

Conductor Leonard Bernstein at the Royal Festival Hall, London
Craig Urquhart was Leonard Bernstein's personal assistant for the last five years of his life. In this touchingly frank interview he talks about the man he knew, the man he revered, the man who wanted to be all things to all people and who consistently pushed himself to the limit in the service of the music that drove him.

Craig_and_LennyClick here to listen to this episode

The Bernstein Project is a 10-month celebration of Leonard Bernstein - one of the most charismatic men of the 20th century. A composer and conductor who wrote poetry and loved science; a pop icon revered by audiences, critics and musicians alike, and a rebel who was embraced by the establishment. As well as concerts and talks, the Project has many events where you can get involved. Directed by conductor Marin Alsop, The Bernstein Project runs throughout Southbank Centre until July 2010.

Add comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.

rating

0

share this article

the future of arts journalism

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

more classical music

From 1980 to 2025 with the West Coast’s pied piper and his eager following
A robust and assertive Beethoven concerto suggests a player to follow
Broad and idiosyncratic survey of classical music is insightful but slightly indigestible
British ballet scores, 19th century cello works and contemporary piano etudes
Specialists in French romantic music unveil a treasure trove both live and on disc
A pity the SCO didn't pick a better showcase for a shining guest artist
British masterpieces for strings plus other-worldly tenor and horn - and a muscular rarity
Adès’s passion makes persuasive case for the music he loves, both new and old