Itzhak Perlman
Discover more about the violinist
Last updated 26th May 2021
Highly regarded as one of the greatest classical violinists of the twentieth century, on this page discover the man behind the violin - Itzhak Perlman.
Who is Itzhak Perlman?
Born on August 31, 1945, in Tel Aviv, Perlman was three years old when he wanted to be a violinist after hearing a concert performed on the radio. His father bought him his first violin from a second-hand shop for six dollars.
When he was four years old, Perlman contracted polio. Whilst it left him permanently disabled, this didn’t stop him from practicing, and after a year, he was able to walk using the aid of leg braces and crutches.
Following his release from the hospital, Perlman enrolled at the Tel Aviv Academy of Music where he studied with Madame Rivka Goldart at the Shulamit Conservatory and the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv. It was here that he gave his first solo recital at the age of 10, and was widely considered a music prodigy in Israel, before moving to the United States to study at the Juilliard School.
Itzhak Perlman’s Achievements
In 1964, aged 19, Perlman won the 23rd-annual Edgar M. Leventritt Foundation competition at Carnegie Hall, performing Bach, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Wieniawski compositions.
In 2003, he received a Kennedy Center Honor to celebrate his achievements and contributions to the American culture and educational life of the nation.
Itzhak Perlman and John Williams composing “Theme From Schindler’s List”
In 1993, Perlman collaborated with film score composer John Williams to work on Steven Spielberg’s Academy Award-winning film Schindler’s List. Perlman’s violin solo on “Theme from Schindler’s List” is still regarded as one of the most recognised film scores, and has been streamed more than 46 million times on Spotify alone.
Performing at the Inauguration of President Barack Obama
In January 2009, Perlman joined Yo-Yo Ma, Anthony McGill, & Gabriela Montero to premiere “Air and Simple Gifts“, a piece written by John Williams at the Inauguration of President Barack Obama.
This weekend in the Jack Pepper’s Culture Bunker, hear an exclusive interview with Itzhak Perlman as Jack Pepper on Saturday 29th May from 6pm.
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