30 Years After Stern
30 years ago, Isaac Stern went to China to bring in some more interest in classical music and get the style of music, especially string and piano players, out into the culture. At that time, China was relatively backwards, but with Deng Xiao Peng’s new programs, a growing prosperity was coming. In that context, it was perfect for Stern to come in. He was the only master violinist that people could meet back then and he really attracted a lot of people and encouraged many talented musicians. Many of the young musicians he discovered have become standard players in auditoriums around the world. His support of a developing music scene in that country has made it a major powerhouse of that style of music as well! This year, there have been many important players, like Lang Lang, to emerge on the scene in the US concert halls, so we keep in mind this ground-breaking trip they made.
