Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzhak Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. Beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent, he is recognized by audiences all over the world, who respond not only to his flawless technique, but also to the irrepressible joy of making music that he communicates.
Mr. Perlman completed his initial training at the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv. He came to New York and soon was propelled into the international arena with an appearance on the ED SULLIVAN SHOW in 1958. Following his studies at the Juilliard School with Ivan Galamian and Dorothy DeLay, Mr. Perlman won the prestigious Leventritt Competition in 1964, which led to a burgeoning worldwide career. Since then, Itzhak Perlman has appeared with every major orchestra and in recitals and festivals across the globe.
During the past several years, Mr. Perlman has also appeared on the conductor's podium. For the 2001-2002 season, he will return as a guest conductor with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the National Symphony, and make his conducting debuts with the Berlin Philharmonic, Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, and the St. Louis, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, and Utah symphonies, the last of which is part of the Olympic Arts Festival at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. Among his many concerto and recital appearances, a season highlight is his December 2001 collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax, performing Beethoven's "Triple Concerto" with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Itzhak Perlman's recordings regularly appear on the best-seller charts and have garnered 15 Grammy Awards. His most recent Grammy was in 1996, for THE AMERICAN ALBUM with Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Current releases include the Grammy-nominated live recording with pianist Martha Argerich, performing Beethoven and Franck sonatas (EMI), and CINEMA SERENADE and CINEMA SERENADE 2, both albums featuring popular hits from movies, with John Williams conducting the Pittsburgh Symphony and Boston Pops Orchestra, respectively (Sony).