Famous figures from the classical music world talk about what made Bronislaw Huberman unique among musicians and leaders.

Musicologist Michal Amora Cohen cites the leadership of Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Rubinstein and Isaac Stern, but emphasizes, “In the beginning was Huberman, he did it first.”

Violinist Itzhak Perlman explains, “He was a visionary, and he was a dreamer. Usually when people are dreamers and have the strength of their convictions, something gets established, and that’s what happened.” Huberman established the Palestine Symphony Orchestra in 1936, which today is over seven decades old in the form of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the national orchestra of Israel.

“Huberman established something idealistic that also helped others. He had a real sense of moral obligation to rescue others,” says Leon Botstein. “Huberman dreamed that Israel would become a European, cultured, cosmopolitan Jewish state in the Middle East.”

Itzhak Perlman marvels at Huberman’s strength of belief in his dream that melded music and politics. “The intensity of what he wanted to establish, whether it’s musical, political, whether it’s both—in this case it was both—it’s absolutely remarkable.”

Orchestra of Exiles premieres Sunday, April 14 at 10 p.m. ET on PBS.