Isaac Schwartz is a composer of the 'Shostakovich Era' (as the great Russian poet Anna Akhmatova called it). Schwartz is the author of two symphonies, a cantata for chorus with orchestra, a number of quartets, trios, a violin sonata, and numerous romances and songs. The composer's orchestral and chamber works are remarkable for their vivid thematic content and emotional vigor. Their musical language is comprehensible and their impact is immediate.
A universally acknowledged master of music for the cinema, Schwartz never lost interest in the symphonic genre. In 2000, he completed his Concerto for orchestra in seven movements, The Yellow Stars' (composed in memory of the Holocaust victims). The idea of this work was conceived when he was deeply impressed by the reminiscences of a prisoner of the Kaunas (Lithuania) ghetto. The Concerto's premiere was held the same year as it was composed, in the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Hall.
In 2004, The Yellow Stars' Concerto was performed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia under the baton of prominent musician, Vladimir Spivakov, to whom this composition was dedicated by the author.

1. Morning Prayer

2. Chorale and Theme with Variations

3. Merry Dance

4. Nocturne

5. Humoresque

6. Evening Prayer. Last night in the ghetto

7. Finale