Stephen Sondheim was honored with multiple prestigious awards
The artist, trained at an early age by the great master of the musical Oscar Hammerstein (Show Boat, The Melody of Happiness), was hired at just 25 years old to write the lyrics for the now mythical West Side Story.
The American artist was born on March 22, 1930 in New York City, and was considered one of the greatest composers of musical works.
His works include Sweeney Todd, Gypsy, Sunday in the Park with George, A Little Night Music, in which he participated as a composer or lyricist.
Throughout his long career, he was honored with eight Grammy Awards, in addition to eight other Tony Awards and an Oscar.
In 2015, Barack Obama, then President of the United States, awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor.