Isaac Stern

Lore & Background

Isaac Stern was an American violinist, born in Poland in 1920, who moved to the United States as an infant and grew up in San Francisco. His mother, a pianist, initially taught him piano before switching him to violin at age eight. He studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and later in New York, but credited Naoum Blinder, concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony, as his most significant mentor. Stern made his public debut at age fifteen performing a Saint-Saëns concerto with the San Francisco Symphony. During World War II, he was rejected from military service due to flat feet and instead performed for U.S. troops through the United Service Organizations. Stern was the first American violinist to tour the Soviet Union in 1951, and he later refused to return until the regime allowed artists free movement. He never performed publicly in Germany, visiting only for master classes in 1999. Stern was renowned for his recordings and for championing younger musicians, including cellists Yo-Yo Ma and Jian Wang, and violinists Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman. He played a crucial role in saving Carnegie Hall from demolition in the 1960s, organizing the Citizens' Committee to Save Carnegie Hall, and later served as its first president. The main auditorium was named in his honor. His extensive recordings include concertos by Brahms, Bach, Beethoven, and modern works by Barber, Bartók, and Stravinsky, among others. He also dubbed violin playing in films, including *Fiddler on the Roof*, and appeared in the film *Music of the Heart*. Stern won six Grammy Awards and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the French Legion of Honour. He maintained close ties with Israel, performing there extensively. He died of heart failure in Manhattan in 2001.

Reader's Guide

Isaac Stern was a Polish-born American violinist who moved to the United States as an infant and built a career defined by international touring, including historic visits to the Soviet Union and China, as well as deep, lifelong ties to Israel. He began piano lessons at age six and switched to violin at eight, studying at the San Francisco Conservatory and later crediting Naoum Blinder as his most significant mentor. Stern made his public debut at fifteen performing Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3. During World War II, he was rejected from military service due to flat feet and instead performed for US troops through the United Service Organizations. In 1951, he became the first American violinist to tour the Soviet Union, though he later refused to return until artists could freely enter and leave the country. He never performed publicly in Germany, visiting only once in 1999 for master classes. Stern was renowned for his recordings and for championing younger players, including cellists Yo-Yo Ma and Jian Wang, and violinists Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman. He played a central role in saving Carnegie Hall from demolition in the 1960s, organizing the Citizens’ Committee to Save Carnegie Hall, and later served as the first president of the Carnegie Hall Corporation; the main auditorium was named in his honor. His extensive discography includes concertos by Brahms, Bach, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky, and Vivaldi, as well as modern works by Barber, Bartók, Stravinsky, Bernstein, and others. He commissioned the Dutilleux concerto *L’arbre des songes* in 1985 and dubbed violin performances for films, including the 1971 adaptation of *Fiddler on the Roof*. Stern won six Grammy Awards, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and was named to the French Legion of Honour. His 1979 tour of China was documented in the Oscar-winning film *From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China*. He was married three times and had three children, including conductors Michael and David Stern and Rabbi Shira Stern.

Did You Know?

• Isaac Stern performed at Freemasons' Hall in Edinburgh during the first decades of the Edinburgh International Festival.
• The source lists Stern among 'celebrated instrumentalists' who appeared at the hall, including Yehudi Menuhin, Itzhak Perlman, and Jacqueline du Pré.
• By the late 1960s and early 1970s, major artists like Stern came less frequently to Freemasons' Hall as chamber music was increasingly shared with other venues.