Isaac Stern Biography (1920-2001)

Born July 21, 1920, in Kreminiecz, Russia; immigrated to the United States, 1921; son of Solomon and Clara Stern; married Nora Kaye (a ballerina), November 10, 1948 (divorced); married Vera Lindenblit, August 17, 1951 (marriage ended); married Linda Reynolds, November 3, 1996; children: (second marriage) Shira, Michael, David. Career: Violinist, actor, and music advisor. Concert violinist, 1934--; first American to perform in the U.S.S.R. after WorldWar II, 1956; Istomin-Rose-Stern Trio, member, 1962-83; invited to perform inChina, 1979; performed with major orchestras and participated in numerous festivals throughout the world. Citizens' Committee to Save Carnegie Hall,organizer, 1960; Carnegie Hall Corp., president, 1960--; American-Israel Cultural Foundation, chairperson of board of directors, beginning in 1964; Jerusalem Music Center, founder, 1973, and chairperson; National Endowment for theArts, founding member. Awards, Honors: Grammy Awards, best classical performance, instrumental soloist with orchestra, 1961, for Bartok: Concerto No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra, 1962, for Stravinsky: Concerto in D-Major for Violin and Orchestra: A Symphony in Three Movements, and 1964,for Prokofiev: Concerto No. 1 in D-Major for Violin and Orchestra; Grammy Award nomination, best classical performance, instrumental soloist with orchestra, c. 1965, for Barber: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra; Grammy Award nominations, best chamber music performance, c. 1965, for Schubert: Trio No. 1 in B-Flat for Piano, and c. 1966, for Beethoven: Trio for Piano, Violin, and Cello No. 6 in B-Flat Major; Grammy Award nomination, best classical performance, instrumental soloist, c. 1966, for Dvorak: Concerto in A-Minor for Violin and Orchestra; Romance; Grammy Award nominations, best chamber music performance, 1967, for Brahms: The Trios for Piano, Violin, and Cello, and c. 1968, for Beethoven: Trio No. 3 in C-Minor and Mendelssohn: Trio No. 1 in D-Minor; Grammy Award, best chamber music performance, 1970, for Beethoven: The Complete Piano Trios; GrammyAward nominations, best chamber music performance and best instrumental chamber music performance, both 1971, for Mozart Flute Quartets; honorary degrees from Dalhousie University and University of Hartford, both 1971; namedcommandeur, French Ordre de la Couronne, 1974; honorary degrees fromBucknell University, 1974, and Yale University, 1975; Albert Schweitzer Award, 1975; Creative Arts Award, notable achievement, Brandeis University, 1976;Grammy Award, best classical album, 1977, for The Concert of the Century; Grammy Award nomination, best chamber music performance, 1977, for Trio for Piano in A-Minor; honorary degree from Columbia University, 1977; Grammy Award nominations, best classical album and best classical performance,instrumental soloist with orchestra, both 1978, for Vivaldi: The Four Seasons; named commander, French Legion of Honor, 1979, 1990; honorary degree from Johns Hopkins University, 1979; Emmy Award nomination, best classicalprogram in the performing arts, for a special or series, 1981, for Great Performances; Academy Award, best full-length documentary, and special mention, Cannes International Film Festival, both 1981, for From Mao to Mozart--Isaac Stern in China; Grammy Award, best classical performance, instrumental soloist with orchestra, 1981, for The Isaac Stern 60th AnniversaryCelebration; Leonie Sonnings Music Award, Leonie Sonning Music Foundation, 1982; shared Joseph Prize for Human Rights, Anti-Defamation League, B'nai B'rith, 1983; honorary degrees from University of Maryland at CollegePark and Tel Aviv University, both 1983; named Artist Laureate, CBS Masterworks Records, 1984; Kennedy Center Honors Award, John F. Kennedy Center for thePerforming Arts, 1984; Commander's Cross, Danish Order of the Danneborg,1985; Emmy Award nomination, best classical program in the performing arts,for a special or series, 1986, for Great Performances; named Musicianof the Year, Musical America International Dictionary of the Performing Arts, 1986; named Fellow of Jerusalem, 1986; shared Wolf Prize, Wolf Foundation, 1987; Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 1987; shared Emmy Award, bestperformer in classical music programming, 1987, for Carnegie Hall: The Grand Reopening; honorary degree from New York University, 1989; National Medal of Honor, 1991; Grammy Award, best vocal or instrumental chamber music performance, 1991, for Brahms: Piano Quartets; Presidential Medal of Honor, 1992; honorary degrees from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Harvard University, both 1992; Grammy Award nomination, best classical performance, instrumental soloist with orchestra, for Isaac Stern and Jean-Pierre Rampal Play Vivaldi and Telemann; Gold Baton Award, American SymphonyOrchestra League. Addresses: Office: Carnegie Hall Corp., 881 7th Ave., New York, NY 10019-3210.

Gender
Male
Occupation
Violinist, actor, music advisor
Birth Details
July 21, 1920
Kreminiecz, Russia
Death Details
September 22, 2001
Manhattan, New York

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