For well over a year, students and residents in Hanover have been waiting for this Saturday evening. They have been longing for a night of musical splendor and expertise, an evening with Itzhak Perlman.
While Perlman has been recognized as the preeminent violinist of modern times, his reach spreads across the world and through years of rich, classical music. After months of anticipation, Perlman's eminence will grace Spaulding Auditorium tomorrow night for what promises to be an incredible night of music and emotion. Accompanied by Rohan de Silva on piano, Perlman will play a variety of pieces from many eras.
Itzhak Perlman has long been looked at with much esteem and has been regarded as the most famed violinist in the entire world. While he has played with nearly every prominent symphony across the United States and throughout much of the world, Perlman has also spent much of his career working with various smaller productions. Perlman has even appeared on "Sesame Street" and made compositions for "Schindler's List."
After nearly 50 years of playing the violin, Perlman's style can only be explained as one that is truly gifted. His work encompasses a variety of emotions, never veering far from his love for music and his passion toward his audiences. He has won 15 Grammy Awards during his career, as well as four Emmys and a host of other awards.
Born in Israel in 1945, Perlman had humble beginnings, originally attending the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv. By 1958, Perlman had come to America, where he made an appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and later studied music at the Julliard School in New York City. Perlman spent much time with famed instructors, composers and performers, including the likes of Dorothy Delay and Ivan Galamian.
A prodigy at heart, Perlman made his American concert debut in 1963 at Carnegie Hall when he played the Wienawski F-sharp minor concerto with the National Orchestral Association.
The following year, he entered the Leventritt Competition, which awarded him first prize and allowed him to soar to new musical heights as he was formally recognized as an internationally renowned musician.
By the beginning of 1965, Perlman returned to his homeland and performed eight concerts with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. His fame would continue to grow as his Israeli concert performances were brought to New York City during the latter part of the same year for a series of concerts that brought philharmonic audiences to their feet.
Itzhak Perlman has spent the last three decades crusading to extend his concerto reach and play for a large variety of audiences.
As a master who has recorded nearly every significant violin piece that has ever been written, Perlman has performed with countless numbers of famed musicians, including Pinchas Zukerman, Isaac Stern, Yo-Yo Ma and Vladimir Ashkenazy.
His repertoire has encompassed nearly every facet of the classical world, while he has also been famed for his crossover work, including an album of Scott Joplin rags and a monumental composition with jazz legend Oscar Peterson.
Many have deemed Perlman the official ambassador of the "human spirit," an individual capable of crossing boundaries and establishing music as a predominant force in our society. His work has been influential in the careers of many of his contemporaries and has allowed Perlman to jump from the musical sphere into a variety of other positions, including mentor, teacher, speaker, writer and philosopher.
Perlman's music is rooted within the passion and spirit that he lends to every piece that he has ever performed. While his expertise on the violin and the musical world may seem magical to most people, his work represents his inner desire to express himself and bring joy to all who listen to his music.
From the first concerto, to the last symphony, Itzhak Perlman's concert tonight in Spaulding will be one of the most celebrated performances to grace a Dartmouth audience.
