Stern, who lived in River Vale, N.J., joined the Music Department in 1996 as an Associate Professor of violin. He also had a successful professional career, winning the prestigious Leventritt Award in 1978 and performing with many of the country's major symphony orchestras including the Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Baltimore Symphonies. From 1980-90, he was the first violinist of the American String Quartet and more recently had regularly performed with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. He is survived by his wife, Katherine. The Chamber Music Festival will highlight performances by the illustrious Stony Brook Graduate Ensembles.
Admission is free.
The program features a variety of compositions that all praise Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music. The central works will be a Benjamin Britten favorite, Hymn to St. Cecilia and the Audi Filia Messe of French Renaissance composer Claude Goudimel. In addition, members of the Camerata will perform solos duets, and ensemble pieces written for Saint Cecilia. These include arias by Handel and Purcell, and works by Liszt and Fanny Hensel. The conductor is Alice Day and the accompanist is Staffan Sandstrom.