How Accurate Is Bradley Cooper’s Maestro? Here’s a Leonard Bernstein Fact Check

There’s no question that Leonard Bernstein is one of the most revered conductors and composers in classical music history. Though many know him for his vital contribution to the musical score for West Side Story (and his mentorship of one Lydia Tár), Bernstein’s career was rife with accomplishments. But like most artists thrust into the cruel, harsh spotlight of fame, Bernstein wrestled with his fair share of demons that adversely affected his relationships, including with his wife Felicia Montealegre Cohn.

Their complicated marriage acts as the central focus of actor-writer-director Bradley Cooper’s long-gestating project Maestro, which is currently out in select theaters and streams on Netflix on Dec. 20th. The biographical drama traces Bernstein (Cooper) and Montealegre (Carey Mulligan)’s tumultuous relationship from their first meeting in the mid-40s to Montealegre’s untimely death in the late ‘70s, highlighting the couple’s devotion and resentment towards one another amid Bernstein’s extramarital affairs with men.

Despite some early controversy about Cooper using a nose prosthetic to play Bernstein, Maestro has earned mostly positive reviews and several accolades, including four Golden Globe nominations. But what was Cooper able to get right while dramatizing Bernstein’s life? We dug into the famed conductor’s storied career to see how much of Maestro rang true.

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Did Leonard Bernstein’s Big Break Happen Because Bruno Walter Was Sick?

Yes. In one of the first scenes of Maestro, 25-year-old Leonard Bernstein receives a phone call asking him to lead a New York Philharmonic concert at Carnegie Hall, as a substitute for ailing composer Bruno Walter. At the time, Bernstein was an assistant conductor for the Philharmonic and this moment would mark his first-ever opportunity to conduct an orchestra on his own. This last-minute replacement situation was indeed Bernstein’s big break debut, and his rapturous, acclaimed performance launched him immediately into the limelight as a promising young talent.

Did Bernstein Meet Montealegre at a House Party?

Yes. Shortly after Bernstein became a rising star, he met then-aspiring actress Montealegre at a house party hosted by Chilean pianist Claudio Arrau. Although it’s unknown if the two rehearsed a script together following that party (as depicted in the film) or bonded over playing a number-guessing game (as depicted in the trailer), Bernstein and Montealegre did fall in love after that fateful evening and got engaged.

What Maestro doesn’t show is that their first engagement ended just as quickly as it began, with the couple not being quite ready for nuptials. Montealegre was briefly romantically involved with actor Richard Hart until he died in 1951, prompting her to reconnect with Bernstein and resume their engagement later that year.

Was Bernstein Advised to Change His Last Name to “Burns”?

Yes. Maestro curiously doesn’t explore too much of Bernstein’s Jewish background, an arguably core part of his identity. However, one key moment in the film did speak to a real-life experience Bernstein faced regarding his Judaism. Early on in Bernstein’s conducting career and relationship with Montealegre, Bernstein’s mentor Serge Koussevitzky (Yasen Peyankov) suggests Bernstein change his last name to something more Anglo-Saxon-sounding like “Burns,” believing that the rampant anti-Semitism in the music world would prevent him from succeeding. Despite this, Bernstein kept his name and continued to thrive professionally.

How Accurate Is the Portrayal of Bernstein’s Bisexuality?

Maestro also doesn’t examine Bernstein’s queerness as much as one would hope, but what is depicted in the narrative regarding his sexuality is mostly true to life. Before meeting Montealegre, Bernstein had a romantic and sexual dalliance with clarinetist David Oppenheim (Matt Bomer), who appears in less than a handful of scenes.

There’s also a brief encounter between the two and Oppenheim’s then-wife at the time — presumed to be film star Judy Holliday, even though the character is never named — and Bernstein off-handedly mentions to their infant child that he slept with both of them. However, there’s no evidence that Bernstein ever bedded Holliday.

Later on in the film, during one of his lavish parties in the early ‘70s, Bernstein meets another clarinetist Tom Cothran (Gideon Glick). Although Maestro somewhat downplays Cothran and Bernstein’s romance — in real life, Bernstein claimed Cothran was his best friend and the only one who truly understood his music — the film does show how Cothran’s presence in Bernstein’s life ultimately disrupted the conductor’s relationship with Montealegre and their children.

How Aware Were Montealegre and Their Children of Bernstein’s Queerness and Infidelity?

In real life, Montealegre was aware of Bernstein’s sexuality, as evidenced by letters she wrote to him acknowledging and accepting his queerness. Maestro doesn’t illustrate those letters, but it does establish that Montealegre was initially fine with this open arrangement, as long as he did not publicly embarrass her. Of course, Felicia still grows resentful toward Bernstein as his affairs persisted and strained their marriage, which the film accurately portrays as well. At one point, she laments to Bernstein’s sister Shirley (Sarah Silverman) that she’s attracted to a “certain type.”

Montealegre knew about his indiscretions too, going so far as to give him an ultimatum in 1976 about his affairs: He must stop seeing Tom Cothran if he wanted to move back home. That demand doesn’t play out in Maestro, but parts of that conversation are included in the film in a slightly different context, such as Montealegre’s insistence that Bernstein would die a “lonely old queen” if he continued down a path of unfaithfulness and substance abuse.

Their eldest daughter Jamie (Maya Hawke) was also aware of her father’s double life, having written about it in her memoir Famous Father Girl: A Memoir of Growing Up Bernstein. As shown in the film, Jamie asked him for the truth about his affairs, but Bernstein dismissed her suspicions as rumors fueled by jealousy over his talent.

Did Bernstein and Montealegre Really Reconcile at the Ely Cathedral Concert?

In the film, following a bitter quarrel during Thanksgiving, Montealegre watches Bernstein conduct Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony at Ely Cathedral in 1973 and reconciles with him afterward, awed by his performance. However, there’s no verifiable evidence that this concert was where the couple came back together and it’s unclear what exact terms they were on during this moment in time.

Bernstein would go on to move in with Cothran in 1976, causing him and Montealegre to briefly separate. It wasn’t until Montealgre was diagnosed with lung cancer the following year that Bernstein reunited with her, and took care of her until her passing in 1978, which Maestro does depict.

Maestro is streaming now on Netflix.