The year was 1955. The Cold War was getting colder. Film iconJames Dean was tragically killed in an automobile accident inCalifornia . Brooklyn 's beloved Dodgers finally won their first World Series. Elvis would soon be crowned king.

Faraway from the world's major events, in the small Midwesterncity of Bloomington , Ind. , a brilliant young pianist from Germanynamed Menahem Pressler entered the faculty ranks at Indiana University's burgeoning School of Music . Many more musical stars wouldalign themselves at IU in the decade that followed Pressler'sarrival and go on to become master teachers and performers. Thelist -- a virtual who's who of 20 th century classical and jazzmusic -- included Janos Starker (joined IU in 1958), Josef Gingold('60), Gyorgy Sebok ('62), Eugene Rousseau ('63) and David Baker('66).

Fifty years later, the stars seemingly are aligning themselvesat IU once again in what might signal a new golden era for theSchool of Music .

Last spring, the school welcomed two of the world's greatestliving pianists, André Watts and ArnaldoCohen, to itsfaculty. Watts became the first faculty member appointed to theschool through the university's “Commitment to Excellence” program,which is helping the school add four eminent master teachers.The Grammy-winning Watts continues to deliver sold-out recitalsand perform with the world's great orchestras and conductors,He was named to the newly created Jack I. and Dora B. HamlinEndowed Chair in Music at IU.

While perhaps not as well known to American audiences, the Brazilian-bornCohen has played in major concert halls throughout Europe andSouth America and under some of the world's greatest conductors,including Kurt Masur, Klaus Tennstedt, Kurt Sanderling, Edo deWaart and Yehudi Menuhin. The latter called Cohen, the first-prizewinner of the 1972 Busoni International Piano Competition inItaly , “one of the greatest pianists I have ever heard.”

Local audiences might know Jaime Laredo, the school's second “Commitmentto Excellence” appointment, from his association with the InternationalViolin Competition of Indianapolis, which Josef Gingold foundedin 1982. What they might not know is that Laredo is a Grammy-winningviolinist and conductor who has performed for more than 40 yearsas a soloist, conductor, recitalist and chamber musician. Laredo, who was born in Bolivia , joined the faculty in April alongwith his wife, Sharon Robinson, an acclaimed cellist, winnerof the Avery Fisher Recital Award and Grammy nominee. The coupleforms two-thirds of the celebrated Kalichstein-Laredo-RobinsonTrio, winner of Musical America's “Ensemble of the Year” in 2002.

Laredo , Robinson and violinist Mark Kaplan, who was named tothe faculty in June, are expected to add to the legacy of theSchool of Music 's String Department. The department has featuredsuch legendary string musicians as Starker, Gingold and WilliamPrimrose and boasts several notable alumni, including JoshuaBell, Gary Hoffman and Edgar Meyer. Kaplan has played with nearlyevery major American and European orchestra and performs regularlyaround the world as both a soloist and chamber musician. He willbe joined on the faculty by his wife, renowned concert pianistYael Weiss. Kaplan and Weiss are members of the successful pianotrio Sequenza, which has presented a wide range of chamber musicliterature worldwide, including a highly acclaimed BeethovenTriple performance at the Prague Festival.

Make no mistake, while the new stars have arrived, the old starshaven't faded just yet. Just ask Menahem Pressler, who, at 81,continues to tour -- as a solo performer and with the legendaryBeaux Arts Trio -- at a wondrous pace. With any luck, Presslerwill be around to see the next batch of stars make their wayto IU.

To view the entire list of faculty at the School of Music , go to http://info.music.indiana.edu/web/page/normal/1618.html .