A beautiful expression of two differing cultures brought together by the warmth and dedication of a great musician and humanitarian. In 1979, as China re-opened its doors to the West, virtuoso Isaac Stern received an unprecedented government invitation to tour the country.
From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China (1981) is a documentary, music and family film directed by Murray Lerner, released on February 23, 1981 with a runtime of 1h 24m. It stars Isaac Stern. Viewers rate it 5.9 out of 10 across 10 ratings.
Directed by Murray Lerner, produced by Murray Lerner.
Average viewer score of 5.9/10 from 10 ratings.
I’ll admit to being a bit confused as to the purpose of this documentary. It follows a select tour by Ukrainian-born American violinist Isaac Stern to communist China where he meets some of their prodigiously talented young folk who are adept at just about everything from playing musical instruments to table tennis to gymnastics. The one thing he seems to want to identify and correct is a certain rigidity with…
Reviewed on October 17, 2025
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From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China (1981) is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, OVID and Amazon Prime Video with Ads, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Google Play Movies and YouTube. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China (1981) includes Isaac Stern. The film was directed by Murray Lerner. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China was released on February 23, 1981 and runs for 1h 24m.
From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China (1981) holds an average rating of 5.9 out of 10 from 10 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy documentary, music and family films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
