Isaac Stern Feature HR

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 ten months old, and San Francisco is also the city where his career began. After World War II, Stern became one of the world's top-ranked soloists as well as 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. In 1960, Stern earned the reputation of a musician with diplomatic skills by saving Carnegie Hall from demolition. He was able to convince the city government to buy the building, so it could lease it to a non-profit organization established to preserve Carnegie Hall. Since then, the "Carnegie Hall Corporation" has kept the concerts self-supporting, and Issac Stern has served as its President for 40 years. The violinist 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 met him at his farm in Connecticut.

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