At age 4, Itzhak Perlman lost the use of his legs to polio. But shortly after, he began violin lessons. By age 10, he had performed with the Israel Broadcasting Orchestra — and today, he is one of the most well-known classical violinists.
With 15 Grammy Awards and the 2008 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in the recording arts, Perlman has achieved a classical musician’s superstar status.
At 3:30 p.m. Tuesday Oct. 6 in Alumni Gym, he will speak at Elon University for “Fall Convocation: A Conversation with Itzhak Perlman.”
Perlman has performed with every major orchestra and venerable concert hall in the world and was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor for his achievements and contributions to the cultural and educational life of the United States in 2003. He performed at the Inauguration for President Barack Obama in 2009 with a special piece for the occasion written by John Williams.
According to Jeffery Clark, executive director of Cultural and Special Programs, Perlman was chosen because of his renowned status, which comes from his technique, direct interpretation and precision in detail.
“Elon stands for excellence,” Clark said. “It makes sense for us to bring guests to campus who are the best in the world at what they do and have them pass along their knowledge and experiences to our students, faculty, staff and community. The arts are a major part of the liberal arts education experience and bringing an artist of his stature accentuates that importance.”
Achieving in classical music
Perlman completed his initial training at the Academy of Music on Tel Aviv in Israel. He began his path to world fame in New York when he appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1958.
Perlman also studied at the Juilliard School and won the Leventritt Competition in 1964. He has received honorary degrees from Harvard University, Yale University, Brandeis University, Roosevelt University, Yeshiva University and Hebrew University. He was awarded the “Medal of Liberty” in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan and the “National Medal of Arts” in 2000 by President Bill Clinton.
“I think many will find things in their own lives that relate to his experiences,” Clark said. “Everyone will hear about the rise of someone who became the best in the world in his field, and I hope that everyone finds some inspiration in that.”
Winning four Emmy Awards and appearing on popular shows such as “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “Sesame Street” and “The Tonight Show,” Perlman has also become a presence in performing arts for television. He appeared in the PBS documentary “Fiddling for a Future,” which focused on his Perlman Music Program, an intensive summer mentoring program with music training for young string players.
Perlman is also at the forefront of music education. He has taught each summer at the Perlman Music Program since 1995 and currently holds the Dorothy Richards Starling Foundation Chair at the Juilliard School.
“When you study Perlman’s accomplishments, all of his award-winning recordings, all of his appearances around the world, and all of his stellar reviews they all lead to superstar status,” said Jon Metzger, chair of the music department. “His humanitarian work will also appeal to all audiences, as will his concepts on the power of passion.”
Bringing in the sound
To prepare for his visit, the Office of Cultural and Special Programs has been working with Perlman’s office to coordinate logistics. The office has designed the technology portion for the on-stage portion of the event.
The audience should expect to hear a few violin pieces embedded throughout Convocation.
“It’s a conversation with some music rather than a speech,” Clark said. “[Perlman] will play a few pieces of music during the event. I expect to hear about his experiences and how they can relate to those in attendance.”
Perlman’s most recent releases include an all-Mozart recording with the Berlin Philharmonic as both a soloist and conductor and a recording for Deutsche Grammophon as conductor at the Israel Philharmonic.
But Perlman can’t just be heard within an orchestra — he’s the background for movies, too. In Steven Spielberg’s film “Schindler’s List,” he collaborated with film score composer John Williams and has performed violin solos in the soundtrack. His sound has also appeared in other films, such as Zhang Yimou’s “Hero” and Rob Marshall’s “Memoirs of a Geisha.”
His music can also be found in popular studying playlists and classical music essentials on Spotify.
Connecting with the community
Clark believes Perlman has reached “superstar status” as a violinist because he is well-spoken about his music, life and experiences, making him accessible even to people who are not particularly fond of classical music.
“I love his music,” Clark said. “It’s very pure music and very well done. It’s inspiring to me to listen to someone so in tune with their instrument and who is so good at what they do.”
Fall Convocation will be moderated by Gerald Whittington, senior vice president for business, finance and technology and associate professor. He was chosen to moderate because of his passion for music and strong background in the field.
Though he handles the technical side of Elon University, Whittington has performed since 1992 as a professional singer with the Bel Canto Company, a choral ensemble in the Triad region.
According to Clark, Whittington is smart and quick-witted, which, combined with his music background, will lead to an entertaining conversation with Perlman and guide the speech along.
“I am a huge fan of [Perlman] and have been for many years,” Whittington said. “His artistry is unparalleled and I expect that our audience will know and appreciate it. He is a superstar because he is technically unmatched and his musicality is the worlds’ best.”
Whittington said Perlman is a warm, funny and engaging individual — perhaps even the greatest violinist of all time.
Tickets for Fall Convocation are still available at the Center for the Arts Box Office for $13 or free with an Elon ID.
For those who want more interaction with Perlman, he will be participating in a Q&A session with the music department before Convocation begins, according to Metzger. The music department will also sponsor a pre-Convocation event to introduce audiences to Perlman at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2 in Whitley Auditorium and is open to all.
“It is astounding how prolific and talented he is,” Whittington said. “One doesn’t get the chance very often to meet the best in life, at anything.”