In memory of the late Isaac Stern, the first President of Carnegie Hall and a champion of its survival as a landmark in New York City, Midori & Friends established the Isaac Stern Fellowship to underwrite two violin students’ participation in the NEXTGen Musician program. The Fellowship honors Stern’s legacy of advocacy and commitment to young musicians.
Midori, founder, shared with The Strad Magazine in July 2020, “I met Mr. Stern when I first came to New York. He taught me how to become responsible for myself – musically, artistically; and the whole concept of being a global citizen, along with activism.”
The 2023 Isaac Stern Fellowship recipients include:
- Rebecca Chung is a freshman violinist and pianist attending The Dalton School on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
- Leo Oiwa is a junior instrument major at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School. Leo started playing violin at age four and is a recent graduate from the Juilliard School’s Music Advancement Program.
- Sofia Deoleo is a freshman violinist and guitarist attending Theatre Arts Production Company High School.