Itzhak Perlman (; born August 31, 1945) is an Israeli-American

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

ist. He has performed worldwide and throughout the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, in venues that have included a state dinner for

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

in 2007, and at the 2009 inauguration of Barack Obama. He has conducted the

Detroit Symphony Orchestra The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Detroit, Detroit, Michigan. Its primary performance venue is Orchestra Hall (Detroit, Michigan), Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown, Detroit, ...

, the

Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscription concerts, n ...

, and the Westchester Philharmonic. In 2015, he was awarded the

Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to "any person recommended to the President ...

. Perlman has won 16

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

, including a

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achiev ...

, and four

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

Early life

Perlman was born in 1945 in

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...

. His parents, Chaim and Shoshana Perlman, were

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

natives of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

and had independently emigrated to

Mandatory Palestine Mandatory Palestine was a British Empire, British geopolitical entity that existed between 1920 and 1948 in the Palestine (region), region of Palestine, and after 1922, under the terms of the League of Nations's Mandate for Palestine. After ...

in the mid-1930s before they met and later married. Perlman contracted

polio Poliomyelitis ( ), commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe ...

at age four and has walked using leg braces and crutches since then and plays the violin while seated. , he uses crutches or an electric scooter for mobility. When Perlman was three years old, he sat and listened attentively to a violin recital on the radio, which inspired him to become a violinist. His mother soon bought him a toy violin, and he quickly taught himself to play melodies. His parents tried to enroll him at the Shulamit Conservatory, but he was denied admission for being too small to hold a violin. Despite his handicap, he began learning the violin a year later. His first teacher was a café violinist. At age five, Perlman was admitted to the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv (now the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music), where he studied for eight years with Rivka Goldgart, a violin teacher of Russian origin, and gave his first recital at age ten. He moved to the United States at age 13 to study violin at the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and the

Meadowmount School of Music The Meadowmount School of Music, founded in 1944 by Ivan Galamian, is a 7-week summer school in the town of Lewis, Essex County, New York, Lewis (mailing address Westport, New York, Westport) in Upstate New York for young violinists, cellists, vio ...

Essex County, New York Essex County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 37,381. Its county seat is the hamlet of Elizabethtown (CDP), New York, Eliza ...

, with

Ivan Galamian Ivan Alexander Galamian (; April 14, 1981) was an Armenian-American violin teacher of the twentieth century who was the violin teacher of many seminal violin players including Itzhak Perlman and Kyung Wha Chung. Biography Galamian was born in ...

and his assistant

Dorothy DeLay Dorothy DeLay (March 31, 1917 – March 24, 2002) was an American violin teacher, instructor, primarily at the Juilliard School, Sarah Lawrence College, and the University of Cincinnati. Life Dorothy DeLay was born on March 31, 1917, in Medic ...

Career

Performing

Perlman gained national attention when he appeared on ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...

'' twice in 1958, and again in 1964, on the same show with the

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

. His performances on the show included pieces such as Rimsky-Korsakov's " Flight of the Bumblebee", Wieniawski's "Polonaise Brillante", and

Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include symphonie ...

's violin concerto. In 1963 and 1964, Perlman made appearances with the National Orchestra Association in Wieniawski's Violin Concerto No. 1, the New York Youth Orchestra in Beethoven's Violin Concerto, and with the

. With the Zionist Organization of America's sponsorship, Perlman began touring cities in the U.S. and Canada as a soloist, and quickly established himself as a leading virtuoso. He made his

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

debut performing Wieniawski's Violin Concerto No. 1 in 1963 and won the Leventritt Competition in 1964. From 1964 to 1966, Perlman embarked on his first notable concert tour in the United States, performed in 30 cities, including Buffalo,

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, and St. Louis. Perlman returned twice to the

Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the '' CBS Sunday Nig ...

in 1964. During the later part of 1964, Perlman gave several concerts in Israel, a tour that concluded with the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto at the

Mann Auditorium Heichal HaTarbut (, ), officially known as the Charles Bronfman Auditorium and until 2013 as the Fredric R. Mann Auditorium, is the largest concert hall in Tel Aviv, Israel, and home to the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. History Heichal HaTa ...

. Perlman first appeared with the

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic is an American symphony orchestra based in New York City. Known officially as the ''Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc.'', and globally known as the ''New York Philharmonic Orchestra'' (NYPO) or the ''New Yo ...

at the Philharmonic Hall as a soloist on May 9, 1965, playing Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 under William Steinberg. He debuted with the

Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. The orchestra holds a regular concert season from October until June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from ...

with the same concerto on February 17, 1966. In 1965, Perlman debuted with the Cleveland Orchestra at

Severance Hall Severance Hall, also known as Severance Music Center, is a concert hall in the University Circle neighborhood of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio, home to the Cleveland Orchestra. Opened in 1931 to give the orchestra a permanent home, the building is n ...

in Tchaikovsky's Violin Concert under Louis Lane. He debuted with the

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891, the ensemble has been based in the Symphony Center since 1904 and plays a summer season at the Ravinia F ...

at the

Ravinia Festival Ravinia Festival is a primarily outdoor music venue in Highland Park, Illinois. It hosts a series of outdoor concerts and performances every summer from June to September in a wide variety of musical genres from classical to pop. The first orche ...

on August 4, 1966, in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with conductor Thomas Schippers. Perlman made his debut with the

Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five (orchestras), Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in ...

on December 16, 1966, playing

Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''. , group=n ( – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor who l ...

's Violin Concerto No. 2 under Erich Leinsdorf. Itzhak Perlman violinist 1984

Starting in the late 1960s, Perlman began to tour Europe. He debuted with the

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

in 1968, performing Tchaikovky's violin concerto under the direction of

André Previn André George Previn (; born Andreas Ludwig Priwin; April 6, 1929 – February 28, 2019) was a German-American pianist, composer, and conductor. His career had three major genres: Hollywood films, jazz, and classical music. In each he achieved ...

. On May 25, 1972, Perlman debuted with the Berlin Philharmonic with the same concerto. This was shortly followed by his debut at the

Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival () is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer, for five weeks starting in late July, in Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart's operas are a focus of ...

with a solo performance of Schubert's Rondo and Fantasy for Violin and Piano and Brahms's Violin Sonata No. 3 with Joseph Kalichstein on August 19, 1972. The next day, Perlman performed Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 4 with the Vienna Philharmonic under

Claudio Abbado Claudio Abbado (; 26 June 1933 – 20 January 2014) was an Italian conductor who was one of the leading conductors of his generation. He served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the Berlin Philharm ...

. In the following years, Perlman toured as a soloist worldwide. In addition to an extensive recording and performance career, Perlman has continued to make appearances on television shows such as ''

The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has been broadcast on NBC since 1954. The program has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2 ...

'' and ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...

'' as well as playing at a number of

functions. Although Perlman has never been billed or marketed as a singer, he sang the role of "Un carceriere" ("a jailer") on a 1981 EMI recording of Puccini's "

Tosca ''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1 ...

" that featured

Renata Scotto Renata Scotto (24 February 1934 – 16 August 2023) was an Italian soprano, opera director, and voice teacher. Recognised for her sense of style, her musicality, and as a remarkable singer-actress, Scotto is considered to have been one of the pr ...

Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...

, and Renato Bruson, with

James Levine James Lawrence Levine ( ; June 23, 1943 – March 9, 2021) was an American conductor and pianist. He was music director of the Metropolitan Opera from 1976 to 2016. He was terminated from all his positions and affiliations with the Met on March ...

conducting. He had earlier sung the role in an excerpt from the opera on a 1980 Pension Fund Benefit Concert telecast as part of the Live from Lincoln Center series with

Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti (, , ; 12 October 19356 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerou ...

as Cavaradossi and

Zubin Mehta Zubin Mehta (born 29 April 1936) is an Indian conductor of Western classical music. He is music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and conductor :wikt:emeritus, emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mehta's father ...

conducting the

. On July 5, 1986, Perlman performed at the

's tribute to the 100th anniversary of the

Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; ) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. The copper-clad statue, a gift to the United States from the people of French Thir ...

, which was televised live on ABC. The orchestra, conducted by Mehta, performed in

Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...

. In 1987, Perlman joined the

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (abbreviation IPO; Hebrew: התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית, ''ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit ha-Yisra'elit'') is a major Israeli symphony orchestra based in Tel Aviv. Its principal concert ...

(IPO) for its concerts in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

and

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

as well as other cities in

Eastern bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc (Combloc), the Socialist Bloc, the Workers Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America that were a ...

countries. He toured with the IPO in the spring of 1990 for its first-ever performance in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, with concerts in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

and

Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

, and again in 1994, performing in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

and

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. In 2015, on a classical music program titled ''The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center'' produced by WQXR in New York City, it was revealed that Perlman performed the uncredited violin solo on the 1989

Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Piano Man" after his Signature song, signature 1973 song Piano Man (song), of the same name, Joel has ha ...

song " The Downeaster Alexa". While primarily a solo artist, Perlman has performed with a number of other musicians, including

Yo-Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma (born October 7, 1955) is a French-born American Cello, cellist. Born to Chinese people, Chinese parents in Paris, he was regarded as a child prodigy there and began to study the cello with his father at age four. At the age of seven, ...

Pinchas Zukerman Pinchas Zukerman (; born 16 July 1948) is an Israeli-American violinist, violist and conductor. Life and career Zukerman was born in Tel Aviv, to Jewish parents and Holocaust survivors Yehuda and Miriam Lieberman Zukerman. He began his musica ...

, Jessye Norman, Vladimir Ashkenazy,

Isaac Stern Isaac Stern (July 21, 1920 – September 22, 2001) was an American violinist. Born in Ukraine, Stern moved to the United States when he was 14 months old. Stern performed both nationally and internationally, notably touring the Soviet Union a ...

, and Yuri Temirkanov at the 150th anniversary celebration of

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular ...

in Leningrad in December 1990. As well as playing and recording the classical music for which he is best known, Perlman has also played

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

, including an album made with jazz pianist

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. As a virtuoso who is considered to be one of the greatest Jazz piano, jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordin ...

;

klezmer Klezmer ( or ) is an instrumental musical tradition of the Ashkenazi Jews of Central and Eastern Europe. The essential elements of the tradition include dance tunes, ritual melodies, and virtuosic improvisations played for listening; these wou ...

; and

bluegrass music Bluegrass music is a genre of American roots music that developed in the 1940s in the Appalachian region of the United States. The genre derives its name from the band Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. Bluegrass has roots in African America ...

. He has been a soloist in a number of film scores, such as the theme of the 1993 film ''

Schindler's List ''Schindler's List'' is a 1993 American epic historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian. It is based on the historical novel '' Schindler's Ark'' (1982) by Thomas Keneally. The film follows ...

'' by

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...

, which won an

Academy Award for Best Original Score The Academy Award for Best Original Score is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by ...

. More recently, he was the violin soloist in the 2005 film '' Memoirs of a Geisha'' along with cellist

. Perlman played selections from the musical scores of the movies nominated for "Best Original Score" at the

73rd Academy Awards The 73rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best of 2000 in film and took place on March 25, 2001, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Pacif ...

with Ma and at the

78th Academy Awards The 78th Academy Awards, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 5, 2006, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time Zone, P ...

Selected performances

Perlman played at the state dinner attended by Queen Elizabeth II on May 7, 2007, in the East Room at the

. He performed

's "

Air and Simple Gifts ''Air and Simple Gifts'' is a quartet composed and arranged by United States, American composer John Williams for the January 20, 2009, Barack Obama 2009 presidential inauguration, inauguration of Barack Obama as the List of presidents of the Uni ...

" at the 2009 inauguration ceremony for

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

along with

(cello), Gabriela Montero (piano), and

Anthony McGill Anthony McGill (born 5 February 1991) is a Scottish professional snooker player. He is a practice partner of retired snooker player Alan McManus. McGill turned professional in 2010, after finishing fourth in the 2009/2010 PIOS rankings. He ...

(clarinet). The quartet played live, but the music played simultaneously over speakers and on television was a recording made two days earlier due to concerns that the cold weather could damage the instruments. Perlman was quoted as saying: "It would have been a disaster if we had done it any other way." He made an appearance in Disney's ''

Fantasia 2000 ''Fantasia 2000'' is a 1999 American animated musical anthology film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation. Produced by Roy E. Disney and Donald W. Ernst, it is the sequel to Disney's 1940 animated feature film '' Fantasia''. Like its p ...

'' to introduce the segment '' Pines of Rome'', along with Steve Martin. On November 2, 2018, Perlman reprised the 60th anniversary of his first appearance on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' as a guest on ''

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night talk show, late-night news satire, news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Stephen Colbert, Spartin ...

''.

Teaching

In 1975, Perlman accepted a faculty post at the Conservatory of Music at

Brooklyn College Brooklyn College is a public university in Brooklyn in New York City, United States. It is part of the City University of New York system and enrolls nearly 14,000 students on a campus in the Midwood and Flatbush sections of Brooklyn as of fall ...

. In 2003, he was named the Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation Chair in Violin Studies at the Juilliard School, succeeding his teacher,

. He also teaches students one-on-one at the Perlman Music Program on Long Island, NY, rarely holding master classes.

The Perlman Music Program

The Perlman Music Program, founded in 1994 by Perlman's wife, Toby Perlman, and Suki Sandler, started as a summer camp for exceptional string musicians between the ages of 12 and 18. Over time, it expanded to a yearlong program. Students have the chance to have Perlman coach them before they play at venues such as the Sutton Place Synagogue and public schools. By introducing students to each other and requiring them to practice together, the program strives to have musicians who would otherwise practice alone develop a network of friends and colleagues. Rather than remain isolated, participants in the program find an area where they belong.

Conducting

At the beginning of the new millennium, Perlman began to conduct. He took the post of principal guest conductor at the

. He served as music advisor to the

Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1880 by Joseph Otten as the St. Louis Choral Society, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest professional symphony o ...

from 2002 to 2004. In November 2007, the Westchester Philharmonic announced his appointment as artistic director and principal conductor. His first concert in these roles was on October 11, 2008, in an all-

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

program featuring pianist Leon Fleisher performing the Emperor Concerto.

Instruments

Perlman plays the '' Soil Stradivarius'' violin of 1714, formerly owned by

Yehudi Menuhin Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin (22 April 191612 March 1999), was an American-born British violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in Britain. He is widely considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century. ...

and considered one of the finest violins made during Stradivari's "golden period." Perlman also plays the Guarneri del Gesù 1743 'Sauret' and the Carlo Bergonzi 1740 'ex-Kreisler'.

Personal life

Perlman lives in New York City with his wife, Toby, also a classically trained violinist. They have five children, including Navah Perlman, a concert pianist and

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

ian. Perlman is a distant cousin of the Canadian comic and television personality Howie Mandel. He has

synesthesia Synesthesia (American English) or synaesthesia (British English) is a perceptual phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. People with sy ...

and was interviewed for ''Tasting the Universe'' by Maureen Seaberg, which is about the condition.

Discography

From 1960s

* ''Prokofieff: Concerto No.2 in G Minor / Sibelius: Concerto in D Minor'' (RCA Victor, 1967) * ''Franck: Sonata for Violin & Piano (Vladimir Ashkenazy) in A Major / Brahms: Trio for Violin, Horn (Barry Tuckwell) and Piano in E flat Major'' (London Records, 1969) * ''Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole / Ravel: Tzigane'' (RCA Gold Seal, 1969)

From 1970s

* ''Prokofiev: Sonatas for Violin and Piano, No. 1, Op.80 / No.2, Op. 94a'' (RCA Red Seal, 1969 & RCA Gold Seal, 1975) * ''The 24 Caprices, Op.1 by Paganini'' (

Angel Records Angel Records was a record label founded by EMI in 1953. It specialised in European classical music, classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score. and one Peter Sellers comedy disc. The famous Recording Angel trademark ...

, 1972) * ''Bach: Double Concerto in D Minor, Violin Concerto No.2 in E, Violin Concerto in G Minor'' (Angel 1972) * ''Wieniawski: The Two Violin Concertos'' (Angel, 1973) * ''Bartok: Violin Concerto No.2'' (Angel, 1974) * ''Perpetual Motion'' (Angel, 1974) * ''Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto / Dvořák: Romance'' (RCA Gold Seal, 1975) * ''Ravel; Saint-Saëns; Chausson'' (Angel, 1975) * ''Paganini; Giuliani: Duos for Violin & Guitar (John Williams)'' (CBS, 1976) * ''Sibelius Violin Concerto / Prokofieff Violin Concerto No.2'' (RCA, 1976) * ''Itzhak Perlman plays Stravinsky'' (1976) * ''Itzhak Perlman plays Fritz Kreisler'' (1976) * ''Itzhak Perlman plays Fritz Kreisler, Volume 2'' (1977) * ''Goldmark: Violin Concerto No.1 / Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen'' (Angel, 1977) * ''Bruch: Scottish Fantasy, Op. 46 / Violin Concerto No.2 in D Minor, Op.44'' (Angel, 1977) * ''Duets for Two Violins'' (Angel, 1977) * ''Beethoven: Sonatas for Violin and Piano, Volume 4'' (London Records, 1977) * ''Brahms: Violin Concerto'' (Angel, 1977) * ''Vieuxtemps: Violin Concertos No.4 in D Minor / No.5 in A Minor'' (Angel, 1978) * ''First Recording of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto'' ( Quintessence Records, 1978) * ''Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D Major & Serenade Melancolique'' (Angel, 1979) * ''Virtuoso Violinist'' (Angel, 1979) * ''Berg: Violin Concertos'' (Deutsche Grammophon, 1979) * ''Beethoven: Sonatas for Violin and Piano'' (London Records, 1979) * ''Encores'' (Angel, 1979) * ''Dohnanyi: Serenade / Beethoven: Serenade'' (Columbia Masterworks, 1979)

From 1980s

* ''The Spanish Album'' (Angel, 1980) * ''Itzhak Perlman plays Fritz Kreisler, Volume 3'' (1980) * ''Berg: Violin Concerto / Stravinsky: Violin Concerto'' (Deutsche Grammophon, 1980) * ''Itzhak Perlman & Pinchas Zukerman Play Music for Two Violins'' (1980) * ''Sibelius: Violin Concerto / Sinding: Suite in A Minor'' (Angel, 1980) * '' A Different Kind of Blues'' (EMI/Angel, 1980) * ''It's a Breeze'' (EMI/Angel, 1981) * ''Bartok Duos For Two Violins'' (Angel, 1981) * ''Itzhak Perlman'' (Great Performers series, 1981) * ''The Great Romantic Violin Concertos'' (Angel, 1981) * ''Beethoven: Violin Concerto, Op.61'' (EMI, 1981) * ''Korngold: Concerto in D / Conus: Concerto in E Minor'' (EMI, 1981) * ''Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole / Berlioz: Reverie Et Caprice'' (Deutsche Grammophon, 1981) * ''The Two Violin Concertos by Prokofiev'' (Angel, 1982) * ''Elgar: Violin Concerto'' (Deutsche Grammophon, 1982) * ''Beethoven: Violin Sonatas, Kreutzer - Spring'' (London Records, 1983) * ''Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 3 & 5'' (Deutsche Grammophon, 1983) * ''Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No.3 / Wieniawski: Violin Concerto No.2'' (Deutsche Grammophon, 1983) * ''Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole / Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No.3'' (Deutsche Grammophon, 1983) * ''Bach: Double Concerto, with Isaac Stern'' (CBS Records, 1983) * ''Chausson: Concert for Violin, Piano and String Quartet'' (CBS Masterworks, 1983) * ''Kim: Violin Concerto / Starer: Violin Concerto'' (Angel, 1984) * ''Khatchaturian: Violin Concerto / Tchaikovsky: Meditation Op.42, No.1'' (Angel, 1984) * ''Vivaldi: Four Violin Concertos'' (Angel, 1984) * ''Mozart: Violin Sonatas, K.301, 302, 303 & 304'' (Deutsche Grammophon, 1984) * ''Mendelssohn: Concerto in E Minor / Concerto No.1 in G Minor'' (Angel, 1984) * ''Bach: Violin Concertos in D Minor & G Minor / Concerto for Violin & Oboe in C Minor'' (Angel, 1984) * ''Brahms: The Sonatas for Violin and Piano / Sonatensatz / Four Hungarian Dances'' (Angel, 1985) * ''Dvořák: Sonatine in G, Four Romantic Pieces; Smetana: From My Homeland'' (Angel, 1985) * ''Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante K.364 / Concertone K.190'' (Deutsche Grammophon, 1985) * ''Violinkonzerte Nos. 3 & 4 by W.A. Mozart'' (1986) * ''Mozart: The 5 Violin Concertos'' (Deutsche Grammophon, 1986) * ''Mozart: Violin Concerto No.1, Adagio K.261, Rondo K.373, Rondo K.261a'' (Deutsche Grammophon, 1986) * ''Tradition: Itzhak Perlman Plays Jewish Melodies'' (1987) * ''Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in A Minor, Op.50'' (EMI, 1987) * ''My Favourite Kreisler'' (Angel, 1987) * ''Dvořák: Violin Concerto, Romance'' (EMI, 1987) * ''Bach: Sonatas and Partitas'' (EMI, 1988) * ''A Tribute To Jascha Heifetz'' (EMI, 1989)

From 1990s

* ''Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto'' (1990) * ''Saint-Saëns; Sarasate; Chausson / Ravel'' (Deutsche Grammophon, 1990) * ''Brahms: The 3 Violin Sonatas'' (Sony Classical, 1990) * ''Mozart: Sonatas for Piano and Violin, K.378, K.379 & K.380'' (DG, 1990) * ''24 Caprices: Paganini'' (EMI, 1991) * ''Paganini: Violin Concerto no.1 / Sarasate: Carmen Fantasy'' (EMI, 1991) * ''Mozart: Sonatas for Piano and Violin, K.526 & K.547'' (DG, 1991) * ''Vivaldi: Four Violin Concertos'' (EMI, 1991) * ''Vivaldi: The Four Seasons'' (EMI, 1991) * ''Mozart: Duos for Violin & Viola / Leclair: Sonata for 2 Violins'' (RCA Victor, 1991) * ''Vivaldi: The Four Seasons / 3 Violin Concertos'' (1992) * ''Castelnuovo-Tedesco & Ben-Haim: Violin Concertos'' (EMI, 1992) * ''Brahms: Violin Concerto'' (EMI, 1992) * ''The Art of Itzhak Perlman'' (1993) * ''Prokofiev: Violin Sonatas / Concerto No.2'' (1994) * ''Bits and Pieces'' (EMI, 1994) * ''The American Album'' (EMI, 1994) * '' Dvořák in Prague: A Celebration'' (Sony Classical, 1994, and Kultur Video, 2007) * ''The American Album'' (1995) * ''In the Fiddler's House'' (1995) * ''A La Carte'' (EMI, 1995) * ''Wieniawski by Itzhak Perlman'' (EMI, 1995) * ''Live In The Fiddler's House'' (Angel, 1996) * ''Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1'' (EMI, 1997) * ''Cinema Serenade'' (Sony Classical, 1997) * ''Stravinsky: Violin Concerto / Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No.2'' (Teldec, 1997) * ''Brahms: Double Concerto / Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto'' (Teldec, 1997) * ''Holiday Tradition'' (1998) * ''Brahms: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-3'' (EMI, 1998) * ''Itzhak Perlman's Greatest Hits'' (EMI, 1998) * '' Concertos from My Childhood'' (EMI, 1999)

After 2000

* ''Violin Concertos / Romance'' (RCA Red Seal 1968, BMG Classics, 2000) * ''Mozart: Violin Concerto No.3'' (EMI, 2002) * ''Classic Perlman - Rhapsody'' (2002) * ''Beethoven: The Violin Sonatas'' (Decca, 2002) * ''The Perlman Edition: Tradition'' (EMI, 2003) * ''Perlman Rediscovered'' (2004) * ''The Essential Itzhak Perlman'' (Sony Classical, 2009) * ''Eternal Echoes: Songs and Dances for the Soul '' (Sony Classical, 2012) with Yitzchak Meir Helfgot * ''Itzhak Perlman & Emanuel Ax: Fauré & Strauss Violin Sonatas'' (Universal Music Classics/Deutsche Grammophon, 2015) * ''The Perlman Sound'' (Warner Classics, 2015) * ''Schumann – Bach – Brahms'' (Warner Classics, 2016) * ''The Art of Itzhak Perlman'' (Sony Classical, 2016) With Andre Previn * ''The Easy Winners'' (Angel Records, 1975 / EMI, 1986) With Placido Domingo * ''Together'' (EMI, 1991) With

* ''Side by Side'' (TELARC CD-83341 1994)

Honors and awards

*1964: Leventritt Competition – Winner *1977: Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra):

Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist, impresario of Baroque music and Roman Catholic priest. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lif ...

: The Four Seasons *1978: Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance:Beethoven: Sonatas for Violin and Piano (w/ Vladimir Ashkenazy) *1978: Grammy Award for Best Classical Album: Brahms: Concerto for Violin in D *1980:

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

: Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra): The Spanish Album *1980:

: Best Chamber Music Performance: Music for Two Violins (w/

) *1980: Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra): Brahms Violin and Cello Concerto in A Minor (w/ Mstislav Rostropovich) (TIE) *1980: Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra): Berg: Violin Concerto/Stravinsky: Violin Concerto in D (TIE) *1981: Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra): Isaac Stern 60th Anniversary Celebration (w/

) *1981: Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance:

: Piano Trio in A Minor (w/ Lynn Harrell & Vladimir Ashkenazy) *1982: Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra): Elgar: Violin Concerto in B Minor *1987: Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance:

: The Complete Piano Trios (w/ Lynn Harrell & Vladimir Ashkenazy) *1987: Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra): Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 2 and 4 *1990: Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance: Brahms: The Three Violin Sonatas (w/

Daniel Barenboim Daniel Moses Barenboim (; born 15 November 1942) is an Argentines, Argentine-Israeli classical pianist and conductor based in Berlin, who also has Spain, Spanish and State of Palestine, Palestinian citizenship. From 1992 until January 2023, Bare ...

) *1990: Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra): Shostakovich Violin Concerto No.1 in A Minor/GlazunovL Violin Concerto in A Minor *1995: Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra): The American Album—Works of Bernstein, Barber, Foss *1997: Elected member of the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...

*2003:

Kennedy Center Honors The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to Culture of the United States, American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in ...

*April 1980: '' Newsweek magazine'' featured Mr. Perlman with a cover story. *1986: Honored with the Medal of Liberty by President Reagan. *1992:

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

: Outstanding Classical Program in the Performing Arts: Perlman in Russia *1994: Emmy Award: Outstanding Individual Achievement: Cultural Programming *1996: Emmy Award: Outstanding Cultural Music-Dance Program: Itzhak Perlman: In the Fiddler's House *1999: Emmy Award: Outstanding Classical Music-Dance Program: Itzhak Perlman: Fiddling for the Future *2000: Awarded the

National Medal of Arts The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and Patronage, patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and ar ...

by President Clinton *2002: Elected member of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...

*2005: Golden Plate Award of the

American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a nonprofit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest-achieving people in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet one ano ...

presented by Awards Council member

Elie Wiesel Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel (September 30, 1928 – July 2, 2016) was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, List of Nobel Peace Prize laureates#1980, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored Elie Wiesel bibliogra ...

. *2008:

*2015: Awarded the

by President Obama *2016: Awarded the Genesis Prize by the Prime Minister of Israel. *2017: Subject of the documentary ''Itzhak'' directed by Alison Chernick.

References

External links

Itzhak Perlman Primo Artists
* *

in the World Concert Artist Directory * * *
PBS American Masters: Itzhak
March 19, 2011
The Perlman Music Program
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