Isaac Stern Feature BR

One of the world's most important violinists celebrates his 80th birthday this year. Isaac Stern, born on July 21, 1920, in the Russian town of Kreminiecz, came to San Francisco with his parents when he was a ten-month-old baby. San Francisco is also the city where his career began. Stern not only became one of the world's top-ranked soloists but also a highly-demanded chamber musician. A mentor to younger colleagues, he helped foster the careers of Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, Midori, and other world stars of today. Furthermore, he earned the reputation of a musician with diplomatic skills. In 1960, he saved Carnegie Hall from the wrecking ball. The famous concert hall in New York had almost given way to a highrise office building, but the violinist was able to convince the city government to buy Carnegie Hall, thus making it inaccessible for greedy developers. Since then, Stern has served as its president. He made headlines in Germany last November when he visited the country for the first time. Isaac Stern is first and foremost a musician, but he has never been afraid to express his opinion on issues regarding politics or the society. Georg Hirsch traced back his path.

[ Home - English ] [ Home - Deutsch ]