Dan's Papers - June 22, 2007 - Itzhak Perlman

In the Hamptons, there's Perelman and there's Perlman. Both are leaders in their fields, admired by millions (for different reasons) and have the kind of clout that gets them invited to places like the White House. While one plucks at the cords of Wall Street, the other coaxes the strings of his 1714 Soil Stradivarius violin and in turn, dazzles the ear, heart and human emotion.

Itzhak Perlman is the most celebrated violinist of his generation, propelling the world of classical music into the forefront of American life. No longer strapped with the airs of elitism, Perlman, through his personality and talent, has been able to break down social barriers that once turned the average person away from chamber music.

Born in Tel Aviv in 1945, it was apparent at a young age that he could excel as a violinist but, according to Perlman, he was not a child prodigy. As he once explained in a New York Times interview, "a child prodigy is somebody that can step up at the stage of Carnegie Hall and play with an orchestra one of the standard violin concertos with aplomb. I couldn't do that! My playing was good, it showed promise, and then I came to Juilliard and studied until I was 18."

Before emigrating to the United States in 1958, Itzhak was enrolled in the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv. He would study there until the age of thirteen. By fourteen, he had appeared on the "Ed Sullivan Show" and then was off to Juilliard to hone his craft. Studying under Ivan Galamian and Dorothy DeLay, Perlman learned about more than just the violin. DeLay challenged him to take a more holistic approach toward his music.

One summer, while Itzhak played Ravel's "Tzigane" at Meadowmount School for Music (a summer camp in Westport, NY), another budding violinist in the audience fell instantly in love with him. After his performance, she dashed backstage and proposed marriage. While the two didn't actually marry right away -- opting to wait until 1967 -- Toby and Itzhak have been together for over 40 years. By the time they did marry, Itzhak was in his early twenties, had already won the distinguished Leventritt Competition, returned to Israel for a concert season, and played with the London Symphony Orchestra at Festival Hall in London's South Bank. In 1986, along with Eli Wiesel, I. M. Pei, Irving Berlin and eight others, President Reagan awarded him the Medal of Liberty for being a naturalized citizen of extreme merit in the United States.

The Eighties and Nineties would afford Perlman groundbreaking opportunities. He would join the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in 1987 for concerts in Warsaw and Budapest -- the first time he or the Orchestra would play in an eastern bloc country. In the spring of 1990, the orchestra and the violinist would make their maiden visit to the Soviet Union. Perlman would return that December, along with cellist Yo-Yo Ma and opera singer Jessye Norman, for Tchaikovsky's 150th birthday celebration. Conducted by Seiji Ozawa, they joined mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, pianist Rudolf Firkusny and the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Prague for a concert celebrating Czech composer Antoniin Leopold Dvo household name is in his personality. Appearing on such shows as "The Late Show With David Letterman," "Sesame Street" and "The New Hollywood Squares," he appeals to every demographic. His ways are charming and his sense of humor quick. In an interview with Mike Wallace, Wallace asked why so many of the top violinists are Jewish. Perlman responded, "You see, our fingers are circumcised, which gives it a very, very good dexterity, you know, particularly in the pinky," he joked. Following the laughter, he replied humbly, "I don't know what it is. Maybe it's a tradition."

Itzhak Perlman is a part of another important tradition -- the Perlman Music Program. Before we go any further, let's put a halt to a common East End misconception about Itzhak Perlman. While he is involved with the program, he did not start it. This project was founded by his wife, Toby. Picking up her violin once more after raising their five children, Toby found a revival in the art of music when she founded the Perlman Music Program. The school, where her husband instructs among other acclaimed masters, has been a staple on Shelter Island for over a decade. It provides an atmosphere that offers pre-college musicians a chance to work on their craft in a constructive and productive environment and also allows them to be kids. It is also a place where Itzhak can be himself, teach and have some fun. In 2001, while a musician searched for their music, Itzhak eleviated the situation by cracking jokes, "They dug up Beethoven's grave and discovered him erasing all his music. 'What are you doing?' they asked. 'Decomposing'." The audience was rolling.

In recent years, while instructing at the Perlman Music Program (and it's offshoots in Florida, China, and Israel) and holding the Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation Chair's seat at Juilliard, Perlman has been able to explore another musical interest -- conducting. Over the past decade, he has taken the podium for the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, National Symphony, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and many others. He was even been propelled to Principal Guest Conductor of the Detroit Symphony between 2001 and 2005. In a very fitting manner, he has even returned to Israel to conduct the Israel Philharmonic.

For his accomplishments as a musician and his work as a teacher, East Hampton's Guild Hall awarded him their coveted award for Lifetime Achievements. It sits in the company of his Kennedy Center Award, a National Medal of Arts and numerous honorary degrees. From his performance of "Flight of the Bumble-Bee" to "Blue Skies," you can hear his dexterity and talent with every tremble of his instrument's strings.

The Perlman Music Program will be hosting a Faculty Performance on Friday, June 22 at 7:30 p.m. (73 Shore Rd. Shelter Island). For more information, please call (631) 749-0740.