Isaac Stern

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(b Kremenets, 21 July 1920). American violinist. After study with Blinder he made his début in San Francisco in 1935. His European début was in 1948 and from 1960 he played in a trio with Leonard Rose and Eugene Istomin. Recognized as one of the world's foremost violinists, he is admired for his vital, expressive performances, with warm tone and impeccable style; he has given premières of works by Bernstein, Schuman and Maxwell Davies.

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Isaac Stern (born 1920) is one of the foremost violinists in the world. He is renowned for his great musical talent, for his great energy, and for his enormous heart.

Violinist Isaac Stern made his formal debut with the San Francisco Symphony as a teen-ager. Since that time he has played countless concerts around the globe. His world tours are an annual event. The crux of Stern's talent lies in his total mastery of each piece. Critics are amazed at his tone and his effortless style. Yet Stern is more than an accomplished musician, he is a great benefactor of the arts. He took it upon himself to spearhead the rescue of Carnegie Hall in New York City in 1960 when the building was slated for demolition. As founder and chairman of the Jerusalem Music Center, he travels regularly to Israel to sponsor master classes and workshops. Stern is well known for his efforts in mentoring young people and in sponsoring programs to encourage music for youth. Some noteworthy Isaac Stern students include violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and Pinchas Zukerman.

Isaac Stern was born on July 21, 1920 to Solomon and Clara Stern, in the town of Kremenets in the Russian Ukraine. Stern's father was a contractor; his mother, a musician, attended the Imperial Conservatory in St. Petersburg. Fleeing the political upheaval in their native land, Stern's parents immigrated with their young son to the United States in 1921. Stern was ten months old at the time. The family made their home in San Francisco. In time Clara Stern began to share her love for music with her young son. She taught the boy to play the piano when he was six, and he started playing the violin at the age of eight. Stern was never labeled a prodigy, but his parents enrolled him at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music when he was ten years old. He studied there from 1930 until 1937 under Naoum Blinder, who was the concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony. Blinder was very liberal in his teaching style; he never burdened Stern with tiresome hours of practicing scales. Instead, Stern learned to play as he listened to others perform; he learned to imitate the quality of the sounds he heard.

Accounts vary as to the progression of Stern's career as a virtuoso. He played his first recital in 1934 at the age of 13, and most likely it was two years later when he debuted with the San Francisco Symphony under Conductor Pierre Monteux. On October 11, 1937 he debuted in New York at Town Hall. Critics praised his performance, and he acquired a manager, noted impresario Sol Hurok. Stern played seven concerts during his first year of tours; the following year that number doubled. On January 8, 1943 he debuted with a recital at Carnegie Hall. That concert earned critical acclaim and thereafter Stern was recognized worldwide as a master violinist. He was renowned for his style and flexibility, for his tone, and for the sure movement of his fingers and hands. So memorable was his first performance at Carnegie Hall, that 25 years later, in 1968, he performed a silver anniversary encore concert at Carnegie to mark the occasion.

Stern signed his first record contract in 1945 with a company that was then called CBS Masterworks, now Sony Classical Records. He remained with that record label throughout his career.

New Horizons

In the 1940s, during the Second World War, Stern played for the Allied Armies in Greenland, Iceland, and the South Pacific. In 1944, he debuted with the New York Philharmonic under conductor Arthur Rodzinski. Stern's film debut was in 1946, in Warner Brothers' Humoresque, with Joan Crawford. Stern recorded the soundtrack for the film. His hands were superimposed in the stead of co-star John Garfield's when the script called for Garfield to play the violin. In 1952, Stern appeared in a film biography about his own manager, Sol Hurok, called Tonight We Sing.

Stern, began touring the globe in the late 1940s. He debuted in 1948 at the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland under Charles Munch. He performed 120 concerts in 1949 alone, including a tour in South America. That same year he made his first visit to Israel. Stern played the Prades Festival with premiere cellist Pablo Casals from 1950 through 1952. In 1956, he became the first American musician since World War II to perform in the Soviet Union. That occasion also marked Stern's first return to Russian soil since he left with his family for the United States. After that initial trip, Stern visited and performed in the Soviet Union on various occasions during the 1960s. Eventually, he boycotted the Soviet regime and was grateful to return in 1997, after the Communist government collapsed. Quoted by ITAR-TASS news agency, he said, "I am glad to meet the Muscovites again."

Throughout his career Stern was the guest soloist with every major orchestra in the world. He performed his famous chamber music concerts at virtually all of the major festivals. The Istomen-Stern-Rose (chamber) Trio, co-founded by Stern in 1961, played through the early 1980s. It featured Stern, Leonard Rose on cello, and Eugene Istomen on piano. The group embarked on a world tour from 1970 to 1971, in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of composer, Ludwig Von Beethoven. Stern also collaborated with Emanuel Ax, Jaime Laredo, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Stern toured South America, Eastern Europe, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and France with the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra. He contributed to countless television specials during the 1970s and 1980s, including his work on the two series, Tonight at Carnegie Hall, and Live from Lincoln Center.

Stern celebrated his 60th birthday in 1980 by performing 60 concerts across four countries during the course of the year. Stern, who plays modern as well as classical music, was honored on multiple occasions to offer the premiere performances of compositions by William Schuman, Leonard Bernstein, Paul Hindemith, and other modern composers. Since his first visit to Israel, Stern maintained close ties with that nation. He returned frequently to perform, and to hold workshops and master classes.

In 1981, Stern filmed a documentary of his Chinese tour. The film, From Mao to Mozart-Isaac Stern in China won an Academy Award for best full-length documentary. The feature also received a special mention at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1987, Stern filmed Carnegie Hall: The Grand Reopening, a film which earned him an Emmy Award.

Six Decades of Music

In 1993, the Arts & Entertainment Network (A&E) featured a biographical piece on Isaac Stern in a program called Isaac Stern - A Life. He made numerous television appearances, including 60 Minutes, Sesame Street, Live from Lincoln Center, Good Morning America, and Today. Stern, along with Yefim Bronfman, toured the United States and the Far East during 1993 and 1994. The pair undertook a collaborative project to record the complete Mozart violin sonatas. They toured Russia in 1991, where they recorded a live performance of the Brahms Violin Sonata, the same piece that Stern performed during his debut with the San Francisco Symphony in the early 1930s.

In May 1993, Stern hosted a two-day chamber music workshop at Carnegie Hall, and another in Israel that same year. The Israeli workshop, called the Jerusalem International Music Encounter, attracted students from around the world. Stern reprised the event in 1995.

Stern celebrated his 75th birthday in 1995, and Sony marked the occasion with a set of 44 compact disks, entitled Isaac Stern: A Life in Music (1946-82). After six decades of making music, Stern continues to perform in scores of concerts every year. His notable appearances in the 1990s included a performance with students at the San Francisco Conservatory and another at the Philadelphia Academy of Music. In 1994 and 1995 Stern toured with Yefim Bronfman and Robert McDonald.

Stern is devoted to humanity and finds that music is a natural form of expression for him. Quoted in the Jerusalem Post, he said, "We can sing, act, pray and do many things with music and all without one word. That is its real magic. Music can be violent because it grows in a violent world."

Civic Duties

During the administration of President John F. Kennedy, Stern organized the National Council on the Arts, a program that evolved into the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) under President Lyndon Johnson. In 1973, Stern founded the Jerusalem Music Centre where he held many master classes taught by international musicians. He also served as chairman of the American-Israel Cultural Foundation.

Stern voiced his political opinions in support of a boycott against a Greek military junta in 1967. He celebrated the end of the Six-Day War in Israel by performing a concert on Mount Scopus with Leonard Bernstein and the Israel Philharmonic. The concert was filmed as A Journey to Jerusalem.

Stern campaigned against Soviet opposition to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1974. He became a Commander of the French Ordre de la Couronne in 1974, and received the French Légion d'honneur in 1977 and Commander's Cross of the Danish Order of Dannebrog in 1985. Stern was named a fellow of Jerusalem in 1986. His biography, Isaac Stern: A Life, appeared in 1991. He was named the 1996 Honorary Fellow of the Diaspora Museum during a trip to Tel Aviv to perform for the 60th anniversary celebration of the Israel Philharmonic.

Three times married, Stern wed ballerina Nora Kaye on November 10, 1948 and divorced soon afterward. He then married Vera Lindenblit on August 17, 1951, following a truly whirlwind courtship-the couple met in Israel and married less than three weeks later. They divorced after 43 years, in 1994. They had three children: daughter Shira, and sons Michael and David; and three grandchildren. Stern married his third wife, Linda, shortly before the dedication of the Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall on January 28, 1997.

Renowned for his tireless energy, Stern loves to play tennis-with gloves to minimize blisters to his violin-playing hands. By his own admission he is not a disciplined individual; he accepts his spontaneous spirit, and concedes that the secret to the sensual character of his violin playing lies in the inability to limit his desires and wants. Stern plays his instrument, an Alard Guarnerius "del Gesu" violin, for hours on end, especially into the night.

Further Reading

Facts on File Encyclopedia of the 20th Century, edited by John Drexel, Facts on File, 1991.

ITAR-TASS (news agency), September 15, 1997.

Jerusalem Post, December 25, 1996, p. 12; June 5, 1998, p. 10.

Newsday, August 16, 1994, p. A11; January 29, 1997, p. A13.

JMC Isaac Stern: Violinist, http://www.jmc.co.il/stern.html (March 12, 1999).

A celebrated twentieth-century American violinist. He is known for his work to save Carnegie Hall from destruction, as well as for his musical performances.

• Born: July 21, 1920, Kreminiecz, Russia
• Died: September 22, 2001, New York, NY
• Genres: Classical
• Instrument: Violin
• Representative Albums: "Humoresque," "Trio Recordings, Vol. 2," "Trio Recordings, Vol. 1"

Biography

Known as one of the leading violinists of the 20th century, Isaac Stern has played for symphonies and orchestras and has performed many concerts and recitals. For more than five decades Isaac Stern has used his musical genius to entertain audiences worldwide.

Born in Russia in 1920, Isaac Stern is considered an American violinist. His parents brought him to America when he was ten months old. He grew up in San Francisco and was educated in the public school system. Isaac Stern's musical career began at eight when he was given violin lessons. His musical education began at home but he was eventually taught by Naourn Blinder, the conductor of the San Francisco Symphony. At the age of 13 Isaac Stern played his first recital.

In 1936 Isaac Stern made his first professional debut with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. The nationally broadcast concert was the Brahams Violin Concerto with Pierre Monteux as the conductor. Following his debut he played at the Town Hall in New York in 1937 and finally at Carnegie Hall in 1943. For three decades Isaac Stern traveled nationwide performing solo and with symphonies and orchestras. In 1961 he formed a trio with cellist Leonard Rose and pianist Eugene Istomin.

Isaac Stern has devoted his life to standard and classical repertoire. He is credited with playing the works of Penderecki, Schuman, Bernstein and Peter Maxwell Davies. For 50 years he has recorded exclusively on the Sony Classical label. He has released more than 100 recordings of more than 63 composers. In 1985 Isaac Stern was awarded the first "Artist Laureate" for his continuous work and loyalty with the Sony Classical label. A 44-disc collection was released in 1995. The collection, titled Isaac Stern: A Life in Music, contains more than 100 recordings of Isaac Stern's lifetime of music.

For more than 50 years, Isaac Stern has devoted his time to entertaining audiences with his classical violin playing. His hard work and musical genius has not gone unnoticed. In 1974 he was made Commander of the French Ordre de la Couronne, was made a Fellow of Jerusalem and was awarded the Commander's Cross from the Danish government. He has been the president of Carnegie Hall for more than 30 years. He was one of the first recipients of the Albert Schweitzer Music Award and was awarded the Kennedy Centers Honor Award in 1984. In 1987 he was given the Gold Baton, the American Symphony Orchestra's highest honor. He received the National Medal of the Arts from President Bush in 1991 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992. He holds honorary degrees from Bucknell University, Columbia University, Harvard, the Curtis Institute of Music, Hebrew University, Johns Hopkins, Oxford, Juilliard and Yale. Despite all this fame and recognition, Isaac Stern saw an important need to teach and mold young musicians. Toward the end of his life, he devoted some of his time to educating young musicians. He died on September 22, 2001 of heart failure in New York City. ~ Kim Summers, All Music Guide

Trio Recordings, Vol. 2 Buy this CD	Humoresque Buy this CD	Humoresque Buy this CD	Early Concerto Recordings, Vol. 1 Buy this CD	Early Concerto Recordings, Vol. 2 Buy this CD
Trio Recordings, Vol. 1 Buy this CD	In Celebration & Tribute Buy this CD	Isaac Stern Presents Encores Buy this CD

• Born: Jul 21, 1920 in Kreminiecz, Russia
• Died: Sep 22, 2001 in New York, New York
• Occupation: Actor
• Active: '60s-'90s
• Major Genres: Music
• Career Highlights: Humoresque, A Journey to Jerusalem, Isaac Stern
• First Major Screen Credit: Humoresque (1946)

Biography

One of the world's great violinists, Isaac Stern has made a few cameos in feature films and has occasionally dubbed violin solos for actors "playing" the instrument onscreen. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Music of the Heart Buy this Movie	Jan Peerce: If I Were a Rich Man Buy this Movie	Yo-Yo Ma: At Tanglewood Buy this Movie	The Huberman Festival, Vol. 3: Tchaikovsky and Vivaldi - Violin Concertos Buy this Movie
The Huberman Festival, Vol. 1: Vivaldi - The Four Seasons Buy this Movie	From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China Buy this Movie	The Istomin-Stern-Rose Trio Plays Beethoven and Brahms Buy this Movie	Humoresque Buy this Movie

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