Michael Stillman, 87; Label Recorded Jack Elliott, Rostropovich
Michael Stillman, 87, a founder of Monitor Records, an eclectic music label that featured everything from Russian classical music to Polynesian hulas, died April 15 at his home in Somers, N.Y.
Born in Saratov, Russia, Stillman moved with his family to New York City when he was a child.
He graduated from New York University and served in the Army as a clerk and typist during World War II. After the war, he found work with Leeds Music, which had exclusive license for Soviet music in the United States.
In 1956 he founded Monitor Records with his business partner Rose Rubin who shared Stillman’s interest in Russian and Eastern European music.
Their early recordings were of Soviet pianist Sviatoslav Richter and then cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. They soon recorded folk songs by Russian gypsies and the chorus and band of the Soviet Army.
In addition to Russian recordings, Monitor recorded the works of American folk singer Rambling Jack Elliott and the songs of Chilean revolutionary Victor Jara.
Stillman and Rubin donated Monitor’s catalog, which contained more than 250 recordings, to Smithsonian Folkways Recordings in 1959.
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