Bernstein's Young People's Concerts: how to watch with kids
Updated 2026-11-14
Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts are 53 television programs in which a great conductor explains music to children with a full orchestra behind him. They aired from 1958 to 1972, and families can still watch them today.
What they are
Bernstein was the conductor of the New York Philharmonic. In each program he stood in front of the orchestra and a hall full of children, asked one question, and answered it with music. He sat at the piano, played a bit, talked, and then turned and had the orchestra play.
- How many: 53 programs over 14 years
- Where they aired: the CBS television network in the United States
- The first one: “What Does Music Mean?” on January 18, 1958
- Who wrote them: Bernstein wrote the scripts himself. His handwritten drafts are in the Library of Congress.
- How far they traveled: the programs were translated and shown in 40 countries
Concerts for young people were not his invention. The Library of Congress notes that his were the first to be televised.
Good episodes to start with
| Episode | The question it answers | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| “What Does Music Mean?” | Does music have to tell a story? | Ages 7 and up. It starts with the William Tell Overture. |
| “What Is Classical Music?” | What makes music “classical”? | Ages 8 and up |
| “What Does Orchestration Mean?” | Why does a composer pick one instrument and not another? | A child who knows the instrument families |
| “What Is a Melody?” | What makes a tune? | Ages 9 and up |
| “What Is a Concerto?” | What happens when one player faces an orchestra? | A child who takes lessons |
| “Young Performers” | What can a young musician do? | Any child. In the first of these, a nine-year-old narrates Peter and the Wolf. |
Other programs cover jazz, folk music, music from Latin America, and single composers such as Mahler, Copland, and Ives.
What to expect
They are in black and white at first. The early programs are from the 1950s. The later ones are in color.
They are about an hour long. That is long for a young child. Watch in two or three sittings.
Bernstein does not talk down. He uses real terms and explains each one. Some parts will go over a younger child’s head, and that is fine.
The children in the hall are dressed up. It was a formal event. Your child may find that funny.
How to watch with a child
- Pick one question. Read the title out loud and ask your child to guess the answer first.
- Watch 15 to 20 minutes. Stop at the end of a piece of music.
- Pause when he plays the piano. Ask, “What did he just show us?”
- Finish another day. Start by asking what your child remembers.
- Play the piece again. Find the main piece from the program, and listen to it without the talk.
For a class, a teacher can show one 10-minute section to open a lesson.
Where to find them
- On DVD. The whole series has been released in two sets. The first came out in 1993, and the second in 2013. Libraries often have them.
- The scripts. The Leonard Bernstein Office has put scripts on its website, with short video clips from some programs. A parent can read a script first to judge whether it suits a child.
- In a book. Fifteen of the scripts were published as a book called Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts.
Who it suits
| Child | Fit |
|---|---|
| Under 6 | Too long and too wordy. Try Peter and the Wolf. |
| 7 to 9 | Good in short sittings, with a parent |
| 10 and up | Good alone, most of all for a child who plays an instrument |
| Homeschool families | A ready-made music appreciation course. Read music appreciation for homeschool. |
After watching
- Write the answer to the episode’s question in one sentence on a listening journal page.
- Read Bernstein for kids to learn about the man.
- Read what does a conductor do?
- Watch a concert at home. Read how to watch an orchestra concert at home with kids.
For stories on audio for younger children, read Classical Kids audio stories.
Sources
Checked in November 2026.
- Leonard Bernstein Office. About Young People’s Concerts.
- Leonard Bernstein Office. Young People’s Concerts.
- Leonard Bernstein Office. What Does Music Mean? Script.
- Leonard Bernstein Office. Young Performers No. 1. Script.
- Library of Congress. Young People’s Concerts. By the People.
More from this guide
This article is part of How to introduce kids to classical music.
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Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.