Bradley Cooper’s Maestro aimed to bring the story of famed composer Leonard Bernstein to the screen, and it did so by filming at the real-life locations of the man’s life. Cooper directed, co-wrote, and starred in the Netflix biopic and went to great lengths to make it as authentic as possible. He wore some of the most impressive prosthetic makeup the movie world has ever seen, learned to play complicated pieces on the piano, and conducted real symphony orchestras. All of this was done to present Bernstein’s story in a way that felt true to the legend himself—and Cooper even went as far as filming in the man’s real-world haunts.
Leonard Bernstein was the first American-born composer to gain worldwide fame and is still considered one of the most important musical talents of the century. His best-known work is the Broadway musical West Side Story, which has received multiple screen adaptations (with the most recent released in 2021). Though these details are a significant focus of Maestro, Cooper’s film centralized Bernstein’s marriage with actor Felicia Montealegre and the complicated life they led together. To Pull this off, the filming locations for Maestro were meticulously chosen, with several vital places in Bernstein’s life utilized.
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Bradley Cooper’s Maestro is intensely focused on the dynamic between legendary composer Leonard Bernstein & the love of his life, Felicia Montealegre.
Ely Cathedral, Ely, Cambridgeshire, UK
Bernstein’s famous performance with the London Symphony Orchestra was filmed at the real Ely Cathedral.
The climax of Maestro sees Bernstein conduct the London Symphony Orchestra in Mahler’s “Resurrection” Symphony at the Ely Cathedral. This was a particularly important scene since it was among the top points in the musical genius’ career. Of course, it was made all the more impactful with wife Felicia Montealegre (played by Carey Mulligan) watching from the wings. It was a highly organic scene, with the emotion of Cooper, the audience, and the symphony orchestra coming together to produce something magical.
Part of what made this scene so electric was the fact that it was really filmed at the same location in which Bernstein famously conducted in 1973. The Ely Cathedral is a massive, gothic-style cathedral in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, and when Bernstein led the London Symphony Orchestra there, it was the biggest of its kind in the world. Cooper reportedly (via Variety) first saw the place in a YouTube video of Bernstein conducting during his research for Maestro and knew it would need to be a prominent location of the film. To make the six-minute-long scene even more authentic, Cooper led the modern-day London Symphony Orchestra in front of an entire audience of extras.
New York City, New York, USA
Scenes set at Carnegie Hall, Central Park, the Dakota Building, and more were filmed at their real-world locations in New York City.
New York City was where Bernstein began his career, so it was an important filming location for Maestro. The real-world composer got his big break when he conducted the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall, so Cooper yet again ensured that he could authenticate his film by using the iconic New York location as an impactful backdrop. Though Bernstein truly did live in an apartment above Carnegie Hall during this time in his life (when he was only 25 years old), it didn’t directly connect to one of the central hall’s balconies as it did in the film. So, according to production designer Kevin Thompson (via Film Maker), the crew of Maestro built a hallway that linked the apartment set with the actual Carnegie Hall.
Several other New York locations were used in Maestro as well. Prior to meeting Bernstein, Felicia is seen running toward a house on a New York suburban street, and this was shot on the cleared street (filled with vintage cars to set the tone of the period) of a neighborhood called Forest Hills. Additionally, several scenes, including the one in which Bernstein runs into his long-time lover David Oppenheim, were filmed at Central Park, and the historic Dakota Building was used for Bernstein and Felicia’s New York apartment. Finally, several minor New York theaters and residences were used to film various homes and concerts throughout Maestro.
Maestro Soundtrack Guide: Every Song & When It Plays
Bradley Cooper’s Maestro features an enormous soundtrack of original works by the legendary American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein.
Tanglewood, Lenox, Massachusetts, USA
Tanglewood, home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, was a frequent feature of Maestro.
Tanglewood was another important place in Bernstein’s life and was thus a necessity for Cooper’s Maestro. The real-world music venue is where the famed conductor studied for years under his mentor, Serge Koussevitzky, and where he was later employed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra for 31 years. In Maestro, Tanglewood is a place in which the characters return several times, and it is mentioned even more. Known for its beautiful campus and rich musical history, Tanglewood was, as Bernstein archivist Bridget Carr said (via WBUR), like a character in the conductor’s life and was, therefore, a fitting setting for Maestro.
The film sees Bernstein giving lectures at Tanglewood, which is something the real-world man returned to do almost yearly throughout his later life. Still, it was the outdoor property that was the most featured in the film. The rolling, grassy hills, and historical stone wall are all recognizable, and this all serves to reflect the beauty and inspiration that Bernstein (and his children) always found at Tanglewood.
Fairfield, Connecticut, USA
Bernstein and Felicia’s real home was used as a filming location throughout Maestro.
Fairfield, Connecticut, was the location of Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre’s real-world home together, and it was miraculously offered up as a filming location for Maestro (via Architectural Digest). The house was the most consistent setting of the film, serving as the backdrop for the opening scene, in which Bernstein begins narrating his story, and the final scene, where he concludes his interview. It was also the setting for other featured points in Bernstein and Felicia’s lives, such as their children growing up and Felicia’s steady decline in health. Since Maestro switches from black and white to color between the earlier and later years of the couples’ lives, the Fairfield house is one of the few settings of the film that is seen in both.
When Bernstein passed away in 1990, he left the home that he and Felicia had purchased in 1962 to children Jamie, Nin, and Alexander Bernstein, and they were kind enough to let Cooper use the beautiful property for the film. Since scenes featuring the home spanned from the 1960s to the 1980s, the entire place needed to be emptied of furniture several times and refilled with those appropriate for each decade. The fact that the Bernstein family was so willing to allow their property to be used for Maestro shows just how much they cared about their father’s legacy being brought to the screen—and Cooper’s determination to use only authentic, on-site filming locations shows just how eager he was to do Bernstein justice.
Sources: Architectural Digest, WBUR, Film Maker, Variety
Maestro
Maestro is a biographical drama about the famous composer Leonard Bernstein. Bradley Cooper stars as Leonard Bernstein and also wrote and directed the film. The movie chronicles Bernstein’s life from 1946, when he met Felicia Montealegre, through his two engagements and three children. Maya Hawke, Carey Mulligan, Sarah Silverman, and Matt Bomer star alongside Cooper.
- Release Date
- December 20, 2023
- Director
- Bradley Cooper
- Cast
- Bradley Cooper , Carey Mulligan , Maya Hawke , Sarah Silverman , Matt Bomer
- Runtime
- 156 Minutes
- Genres
- Biography , Drama , Music
- Writers
- Bradley Cooper , Josh Singer
- Studio(s)
- Amblin Entertainment
- Distributor(s)
- Netflix
