1. Thomas Walter Cothran was an American musicologist and composer, notable for his professional collaboration and personal relationship with American conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein.
10 Facts About Tom Cothran
1. 2.
Tom Cothran was born in San Antonio to parents Walter M and Betty Cothran.
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The family remained in Texas for some years, then moved to Pasadena, California, where Tom graduated from Pasadena High School in 1965.
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Tom Cothran attended Northwestern University for two years, then transferred to UC Berkeley where he studied music and became interested in linguistics.
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Tom Cothran assisted and advised Bernstein in small ways during the period of development of the latter's Mass and was a frequent house guest in the Bernstein household.
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Tom Cothran continued as an associate of Bernstein's during the period of development of the latter's failed musical, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, studying piano informally under Harvard's Luise Vosgerchian.
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Bernstein and Tom Cothran lived together in venues including Paris and Palm Springs for about two years, during which Tom Cothran participated in the development of Bernstein's Songfest, the two reportedly reading poetry to each other and selecting the poems that make up the piece, including some dealing with homosexuality.
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Tom Cothran traveled widely, including to Nepal and India, returning to the United States in 1981 with a rare lymphoma, later recognized as one of the earliest cases of AIDS.
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Tom Cothran moved to New York City and was active in AIDS hospice work until his own illness made this impossible.
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Tom Cothran is played by Gideon Glick in Bradley Cooper's 2023 film Maestro.