Itshak Perlman Israeli violinist Date of Birth: 31.08.1945 Country: Israel

Biography of Itzhak Perlman

Itzhak Perlman was born on August 31, 1945 in Tel Aviv, Israel. At the age of four, he contracted polio, which caused him to lose the use of his legs. Despite this, Perlman began performing in concerts on Israeli radio before he even turned ten years old.

In 1958, Perlman made his first appearance on the popular American television show, The Ed Sullivan Show. This led to financial support for him to continue his education in America, where he became a student of Ivan Galamian at the Juilliard School in New York.

Perlman made his debut at Carnegie Hall in 1963, shortly after making his first recording for the renowned company, Victor. He performed in London at the Royal Festival Hall in 1968, and also collaborated with cellist Jacqueline du Pré and pianist Daniel Barenboim in summer chamber music concerts in the British capital.

Throughout his career, Perlman has performed and recorded numerous violin masterpieces. However, he has always been drawn to music that goes beyond the traditional repertoire. He has made recordings of jazz compositions by André Previn, ragtime music by Scott Joplin, and arrangements from the Broadway musical "Fiddler on the Roof". In the 1990s, he made a significant contribution to the revival of public interest in the art of Jewish folk musicians known as klezmers.

Perlman has premiered works by contemporary composers, including violin concertos by Earl Kim and Robert Starer. He plays on an antique Stradivarius violin, made in 1714, which is recognized as one of the finest violins created by the great master.

Overall, Itzhak Perlman is one of the most popular violinists of the late 20th century. His playing is characterized by elegance and distinctive interpretations.