Person in history
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim, American composer and lyricist (born 1930)
Life at a glance
- Died
- 2021 · November 26
Their story
Who they were
Stephen Joshua Sondheim was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received numerous accolades, including eight Tony Awards, eight Grammy Awards and five Olivier Awards. He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1982 and awarded the Kennedy Center Honor in 1993 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.
Path and career
Career 1954–1959: Lyrics West Side Story Burt Shevelove invited Sondheim to a party where he saw a familiar face, Arthur Laurents , who had seen one of the auditions of Saturday Night . Laurents told him he was working on a musical version of Romeo and Juliet with Leonard Bernstein , but they needed a lyricist; Betty Comden and Adolph Green , who were supposed to write the lyrics, were under contract in Hollywood. He said that although he was not a big fan of Sondheim's music,
Why this date
Stephen Sondheim appears on our November 26 calendar for 2021 as a death entry.
Sources
Cite this page
“Stephen Sondheim”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/people/stephen-sondheim, accessed October 27, 2026.
Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.
Questions about Stephen Sondheim
When did Stephen Sondheim die?
November 26 2021.
Who else was born on this day?
The date page lists everyone we hold for that calendar day.
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