born August 31, 1945

Itzhak Perlman plays Antonio Bazzini's Le ronde des lutins at a concert in Russia

Since his debut in 1963, Perlman has occupied a place as one of the greatest violinists of his day, a player with a remarkable technique and a sweet, elegant tone. He has recorded all the major concertos in the repertoire, as well as much chamber music (often in the company of Daniel Barenboim). His EMI disc of the Beethoven Violin Concerto took a Gramophone Award in 1981.

Perlman: a tribute by Tasmin Little

'As a very young girl, even before I had begun playing the violin, I was aware of the name of Itzhak Perlman – he was on the radio more frequently than any other violinist at the time and his name was synonymous with beautiful, polished violin-playing and flawless technique.

'One of my first LPs was Perlman playing Paganini’s Violin Concerto No 1 and Sarasate’s fiendish Carmen Fantasy. The music sounds effortless under his fingers – the smooth, creamy sound and unerring intonation are an unmistakable hallmark. It was a recording that inspired me again and again to keep practising…

'The breadth of his repertoire is awesome – he has sought out unplayed works, such as Bruch’s Violin Concerto No 2, as well as delivering superb renditions of Brahms, Beethoven, solo Bach or a dazzling array of infectious salon pieces. Perlman is a master violinist whose place in history is assured.'

Gramophone Article

Itzhak Perlman – Interview (Gramophone, September 1981) by Andrew Keener

Recommended Recordings

Beethoven – Violin Sonatas

Brahms – Violin Sonatas Nos 1-3

Paganini – 24 Caprices