Jamie Bernstein is the daughter of actress Felicia Montealegre and conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein. Jamie’s father Leonard is best known for his work in the Broadway musical West Side Story. He was one of the most important conductors of the 20th century. He was regarded as an influential conducting teacher and mentor.
Jamie Bernstein: Bio Summary
| Name | Jamie Bernstein |
| Age | 71 years old as of 2023 |
| Date of birth | 8 September 1952 |
| Place of birth | New York, New York, USA |
| Famous as | *daughter of Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre *writer |
| Spouse | David Thomas |
| Siblings | Nina Maria Felicia Bernstein and Alexander Bernstein |
| Parents | Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre |
| Children | Frankie Jay Thomas and Evan Thomas |
How Old Is Jamie Bernstein?
Jamie Anne Maria Bernstein was born on 8 September 1952 in New York, New York, USA. According to her date of birth, she is at the age of 71 years as of 2023. She is the oldest daughter and child of Louis Bernstein aka Leonard Bernstein (August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) and Felicia María Cohn Montealegre (February 6, 1922 – June 16, 1978).
Jamie’s mother was a Costa Rican actress and social activist while her father was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. She has two younger siblings, Alexander Bernstein and Nina Maria Felicia Bernstein. On her father’s side, she is the granddaughter of Jennie (née Resnick) and Samuel Joseph Bernstein.
On her mother’s side, Jamie is the granddaughter of Clemencia Cristina Montealegre Carazo and Roy Elwood Cohn, a United States mining executive who used to be stationed in Costa Rica. Unfortunately, Jamie lost her mother Felicia on June 16, 1978, at the age of 56. She died of lung cancer. Her father Leonard also died on October 14, 1990, at age 72, of a heart attack.
Jamie Bernstein Is A Writer And Narrator
Jamie Bernstein is an independent woman of many doings. She has established herself as a writer, narrator, broadcaster, author, and filmmaker. As an author, she is known for her memoir, Famous Father Girl (2018), which is about growing up with her parents Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre “in an atmosphere bursting with music, theatre and literature”, per Jamie’s website.
ALSO, READ: Nina Maria Felicia Bernstein: Who Is Leonard Bernstein’s Daughter?
Jamie wrote and narrated concerts about Mozart, Aaron Copland, and Stravinsky, as well as “The Bernstein Beat,” a family concert about her father modeled after his groundbreaking Young People’s Concerts. She performs her scripted narrations and standard concert narrations such as Copland’s “A Lincoln Portrait” and her father’s Symphony No. 3, “Kaddish.”
Jamie Bernstein has served as a producer and host for the New York Philharmonic’s live national radio broadcasts. She has also made contributions as a broadcaster to several summer broadcasts from Tanglewood. She served as a narrator for the podcast “The NY Phil Story: Made in New York.”
Jamie co-directed the documentary film, Crescendo! The Power of Music. She was also the director of Crescendo! The Healing Power of Music. She appeared in the film Endless Love as Susan. She has appeared as herself in American Masters, West Side Story: A Place for Us – West Side Story’s Legacy, and Duels.
Jamie has appeared in Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy, Leonard Bernstein: Larger Than Life, West Side Stories: The Making of a Classic, West Side Story – Bernsteins Broadway-Hit, and Leonard Bernstein – Das zerrissene Genie. Her articles and poetry have made it to publications such as Symphony, Town & Country, and Opera News. She also edits “Prelude, Fugue & Riffs,” a newsletter of her father’s legacy.
Jamie Bernstein Is A Divorcee And A Mother
Jamie Bernstein is said to be a divorced woman. She used to be married but not anymore. She was the wife of David Thomas, whom she married on December 2, 1984. They got divorced in the year 2000. The reason for their divorce is unknown. Jamie is a mother of two, Frankie Jay Thomas and Evan Thomas.
ALSO, READ: Felicia Montealegre: How Did Leonard Bernstein’s Wife Die?
Jamie has been a very supportive and devoted mother to her two children who are now adults and doing well for themselves. Her child Frankie Jay Thomas is a writer who has been accepted by the prestigious Iowa Writers Workshop. Evan has reportedly been working as an Office Assistant at The Leonard Bernstein Office for over 16 years.
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