Karoline Stern

Karoline Stern (16 April 1800 – May 1885) was a German opera soprano. She was the inspiration for one of Heinrich Heine's first published poems: "An eine Sängerin – Als sie eine alte Romanze sang" (loosely, "To a singer – as she sang an old romance").

Life and works Karoline Stern was born in Mainz, the daughter of the Jewish violinist Joachim Stern and his wife, born Regina Bamberger. Her first music teacher was her father. She retired from public performance only with reluctance.

One musical outlet that she was able to pursue involved the education of her son, Julius Stern. While still aged only 14 he had been playing first violin with the Theatre Orchestra in Würzburg. Julius Stern later completed his formal training as a pupil of the international virtuoso Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst. After Karoline ended her performing career the two of them moved together to Berlin where according to at least one source Julius Stern became a celebrated concertmaster. Another source refutes this, however, asserting that this version results from a misunderstanding whereby the identities and careers of two professional violinists named Julius Stern have become conflated.

During her final years, living with (or close to) her son in Berlin, Karoline Stern worked as a singing teacher.

According to the nineteenth century rabbi-historian Meyer Kayserling, Karoline Stern was the first Jewish prima donna to achieve star status on the German opera stage.