Leonard Bernstein Grandchildren: Meet The Musical Maestro Family

The 2023 movie ‘Maestro’ based on Leonard Bernstein, showed the real-life events of the musical maestro and his married life. What people don’t know is that Leonard Bernstein grandchildren are equally working to keep their grandfather’s legacy alive.

Bradley Cooper‘s movie Maestro mainly focuses on Bernstein’s married life. But in this article, we will reveal what exactly Leonard Bernstein’s grandsons and granddaughters are doing.

Know All Three Bernstein Children: Jamie, Alexander, and Nina

It’s been over thirty years since Leonard Bernstein died, but his children worked tirelessly to keep their father’s composition alive. Leonard married Costa Rican actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn on September 9, 1951. They shared two daughters and a son.

The oldest, Jamie Bernstein, was born on September 8, 1952, in New York. She is an author, narrator, director, broadcaster, and filmmaker. Also, she is most active in preserving her father’s musical work.

In June 2018, Jamie published a memoir, Famous Father Girl, in which she wrote about her early years growing up with music, theater, and literature. Jamie and her ex-husband, David Thomas, shared two children.

The Only Son of Leonard Bernstein

Alexander Bernstein is the middle child and the only son of Leonard Bernstein. Born on July 7, 1955, he is the president of Artful Learning, Inc., and founding chairman of The Leonard Bernstein Center For Learning.

Previously, he taught for five years at the Packer-Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn. Alexander, a Harvard graduate, studied acting and has appeared in Daniel (1983), The Making of West Side Story (1985), and Tinder and Grinder (2014). He was briefly married to actress Kerry Armstrong. Alexander is currently married to Elizabeth Bernstein (Velazquez).

The Youngest Bernstein: Nina Simmons

The youngest Bernstein is Nina Maria Felicia Bernstein, who was born on February 28, 1962. She worked for several as an actress at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge. Later, she joined her siblings to preserve her late father’s legacy.

Nina worked with the Library of Congress on making the Bernstein Archives digitally available to the public. Since 2008, she has been working as a food educator in underserved communities. Nina is married to Rudd Simmons, a film producer known for High Fidelity and The Road.

All three children of Leonard Bernstein have been working tirelessly so that people can acknowledge their father’s contributions to the music world.

Meet Leonard Bernstein Grandchildren: Where Are They Now?

While people are aware of Bernstein’s children, they might not know about his third generation. So, we will meet each one of Leonard Bernstein grandchildren.

Let’s start with Jamie and her ex-husband, David, who remained married from December 2, 1984, until 2000. During the 16 years of marriage, the couple shared two children, James Frankie Thomas and Evan Thomas.

Jamie Bernstein’s second child, Evan Thomas, prefers a low-key personal life. However, he has an extensive range of working experience. Evan currently works as an office assistant at The Leonard Bernstein Office.

Previously, he worked as a docent at the American Museum of Natural History. Meanwhile, he studied acting at the Stella Adler School of Acting.

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One of Jamie Bernstein’s Children Is Trans

James Frankie Thomas was born as Francisca Thomas in 1987. A man trapped in a woman’s body, James came out as a transgender in 2018. He discovered his trans identity while writing a novel about two queer characters.

James Frankie Thomas is a novelist, critic, and teacher who attended the City College of New York. His first book is titled Idlewild. Frankie was previously married to Ian Tattersall in June 2016. Ian is a doctor who has a medical degree and Ph.D. in vascular biology from Columbia University.

Frankie received an undergraduate degree summa cum laude from the City College of New York. After coming out as a trans, he and Ian parted their ways as a married couple but are still good friends.

Likewise, Thomas has completely changed his physical appearance after going through hormonal therapy with testosterone. Therefore, one of Leonard Bernstein grandchildren is transgender, and he is quite proud of his identity.

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Leonard Bernstein’s Granddaughters: Anya and Anna Bernstein

Now, let’s meet Alexander Bernstein’s children. He and his wife, Elizabeth, only share a daughter, Anya Bernstein. Anya is a graduate of Vassar College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies. She currently works as a model services and classroom manager at Pratt Institute.

Anya rarely posts pictures of her family on social media, but she has revealed her boyfriend. The only daughter of Alexander and Elizabeth Bernstein, Anya is a fantastic fashion designer as well.

Let’s talk about Nina Bernstein’s children, Anna Felicia Simmons. Anna was born to Nina and Rudd Simmons on April 6, 2002, in New York City. She attended Northwestern University, taking a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science. However, as per her Facebook page, Anna has now joined the University of Sydney.

In conclusion, Leonard Bernstein grandchildren might have taken a different path than their parents. But we can’t deny the fact that the musical maestro’s legacy will forever live on.