Isaac Stern
Violinist Isaac Stern was a vital force in the arts world, playing extraordinary music, mentoring young musicians, and creating and preserving important institutions that support the arts. Stern was born in Russia but moved to San Francisco with his family in 1921 at the age of one. His mother taught him to play the piano at a young age and he began studies at the San Francisco Conservatory in 1928, training with choirmaster Naoum Blinder. He was a talented violinist with excellent technique and quickly rose through the ranks to make his New York debut first in 1937 and then at Carnegie Hall in 1943. This landmark performance increased recognition of his talents in the United States and then internationally; after World War II Stern toured extensively. In 1956 he was one of the first American musicians to play in the USSR. From the 1960s on, Stern played as part of a trio with Leonard Rose and Eugene Istomin as well as a duet repertoire with Alexander Zakin. He worked to save Carnegie Hall from demolition (to make way for Lincoln Center) and became president of the Carnegie Hall Corporation. Stern was instrumental in the creation of the National Endowment for the Arts as well as the Jerusalem Music Centre. He has mentored a generation of musicians including Yo-Yo Ma and Pinchas Zukerman and has fostered music education programs for young people throughout the world. Stern’s 1981 documentary film about his Chinese tour, From Mao to Mozart - Isaac Stern in China, won an Academy Award. Isaac Stern has been a guest soloist with many orchestras, playing everything from Beethoven to Dutilleaux. He died in 2001 from heart failure.
