Stern, Isaac

born July 21, 1920, Kremenets, Ukraine, Russian Empire

died Sept. 22, 2001, New York, N.Y., U.S.

Ukrainian-born U.S. violinist.

His family came to the U.S. when he was an infant. He first performed with the San Francisco Symphony in 1936, and he made his New York City debut at age 17. After World War II, he began to tour extensively (including the Soviet Union in 1956). In 1960 he formed a famous trio with pianist Eugene Istomin (b. 1925) and cellist Leonard Rose (1918–84). He was instrumental in saving Carnegie Hall from demolition, helped establish the National Endowment for the Arts, and was a key presence in the musical life of Israel.

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▪ 2002

      American violinist (b. July 21, 1920, Kremenets, Ukraine—d. Sept. 22, 2001, New York, N.Y.), was one of the 20th century's best-known musicians and an influential teacher and advocate for the arts. His parents immigrated to the U.S. in 1921, and he grew up in San Francisco, where he began violin studies at the age of eight. Stern made his Carnegie Hall, New York City, debut in 1943 and performed there more than 200 times during his life. His repertoire ranged from Bach to 20th-century composers and included contemporary music. With pianist Eugene Istomin and cellist Leonard Rose, he formed one of the greatest of modern piano trios, which performed from the 1960s until Rose's death in 1984. He made more than 100 recordings, and in 1995 Sony Classical issued the 44-compact disc set Isaac Stern: A Life in Music. He performed on a number of Hollywood sound tracks, and the documentary From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China, based on a 1979 tour, won an Academy Award in 1981. He promoted the careers of a number of younger musicians, including the violinists Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman and the cellist Yo-Yo Ma. In 1960 Stern organized a campaign to save Carnegie Hall from demolition, and he served as chairman of the Carnegie Hall Corp. until his death. He oversaw the hall's restoration in 1986 and the celebration of its centenary in 1991. Stern, active in political causes, took a role in the creation of the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts in the 1960s and became chairman of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation in 1964. A supporter of Israel, he refused to perform in Germany. His autobiography, My First 79 Years, written with novelist Chaim Potok, was published in 1999. Among his many honours was the first Albert Schweitzer Music Award (1975).

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▪ American violinist

born July 21, 1920, Kremenets, Ukraine, Russian Empire

died September 22, 2001, New York, New York, U.S.

      Russian-born American musician who was considered one of the premier violinists of the 20th century.

      Stern was taken by his parents to San Francisco as a one-year-old. At age 6 he began taking piano lessons, but his interest soon turned to the violin. He studied at the San Francisco Conservatory (1928–31) and with the Russian violinist Naoum Blinder (1932–39) and in 1935 made his San Francisco Symphony debut. After a highly successful New York concert in 1939, he rapidly gained recognition with his expressive playing. He began to tour regularly after his European debut in 1948, appearing all over the world and at all the major festivals. He premiered works by Paul Hindemith, George Rochberg, and Krzysztof Penderecki. In 1960 he formed a trio with pianist Eugene Istomin and cellist Leonard Rose. Among their acclaimed recordings were the complete trios of Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, and Johannes Brahms. The group toured extensively, and to honour Beethoven's bicentennial they performed a series of concerts around the world. Following Rose's death in 1984, Stern teamed up with cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Emanuel Ax.

      In addition to his concert performances, Stern appeared on radio and television and made numerous recordings. Active in organizations promoting the arts, he played a key role in saving New York City's Carnegie Hall from demolition in 1960 and later became president of the corporation that administered the hall and its cultural programs; he held the post until his death. In 1964 he helped establish the National Endowment for the Arts. Stern was also noted for his encouragement of young musicians, and he aided the careers of Yo-Yo Ma and violinist Itzhak Perlman (Perlman, Itzhak), among others. The recipient of numerous awards, Stern received the Kennedy Center Honors Award in 1984 and a Grammy for lifetime achievement in 1987. A documentary of his 1979 tour of China, From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China, received an Academy Award in 1981. Stern's autobiography, My First 79 Years (cowritten with Chaim Potok (Potok, Chaim)), was published in 1999.

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