Albert Stern (violinist)

Violinist Albert Ivan Stern was born in New York City. His parents, father Murray Abraham Shmulevitch and mother Grace Sara Stern (née Gold), were both Jewish and born in Poland. Grace Gold immigrated to the US as a child and Murray immigrated later after graduating from Humboldt University of Berlin as a Doctor of medicine. After arriving in the US, Murray entered a lifelong career in business sales and, following in the footsteps of his father, became a prominent builder. Both his mother and father came from families of predominantly musicians. He had an older brother Stanley Stern (later known as Jack Stern) and an older sister Florence London. Stern has 4 children, daughters Adina T. Stern, a prominent attorney, Aura L. Stern, a financier, daughter Shereen A. Stern, a nurse, and son Shawn Stern, a novelist. He is married to Patricia A Stern (Née Trzaska).

Stern first started learning to play the violin at the age of 5 when his father brought home a tiny violin and bow. Soon after picking it up was able to draw some clear notes. His father stated "you are going to be a violinist." When he was 11, his parents moved to Los Angeles where he studied at the Los Angeles Conservatory with Sascha Jacobsen, Concert Master of the LA Philharmonic. He then studied briefly with a student of Otakar Ševčík prior to studying with Noumi Fischer in Los Angeles until the age of 15. While studying with Fischer, he won many music contests and gave concerts appearing as a soloist with the Long Beach & Los Angeles Symphony Orchestras.

Stern entered and won the Young Artists television competition with judges Tasha Sidel and Marina Koshetz. At 16, he auditioned at the Juilliard School where he was admitted and studied violin with Ivan Galamian and Dorothy DeLay. At Juilliard, Stern also studied with Louis Persinger for Sonata classes, William Primrose for viola, Robert Mann for Quartet classes as well as Hans Letz. Stern had a bit part as a roaming musician in the 1964 film, Kisses for My President.

Stern’s primary vocation is as a concert violin soloist and violin teacher. Stern has concertized as a soloist in recital and appearing with orchestras across the nation, receiving critical acclaim from audiences and critics alike. Los Angeles Times music critic Martin Bernheimer called Stern’s performance “dazzling” after a concert attended by over 6,000 of the West Coast Premier of Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio, conducted by William Hall. The Performance was held at The Orange County Performing Arts Center and featured the Master Chorale of Orange County, the Master Chorale Orchestra and the Boys of the Costa Mesa children’s Chorus, and Stern as violin soloist.

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