Isaac Stern

“The most important thing to do is to be a human being.”

“Music is the one thing that can enter a person's life at any time, from any direction, and make it richer.”

“We must not only be good but we must also be good for something.”

“Everywhere in the world, they're looked upon as birds of passage. Fly in, fly out.”

“The bow is the soul of the violin.”

“The most important thing is to be able to listen.”

“Learn to play the violin, and you will have a career. But learn to be a musician, and you will have a life.”

“You don't get to be a respected musician by just being a good musician. You have to be a responsible human being as well.”

“It is a public library, this Carnegie Hall. And it is my duty to see that the library is maintained.”

“If you're not getting better, you're getting worse.”

“Technique is the ability to translate your ideas into sound. It is not an end in itself.”