Itzhak Perlman, violin
Rohan De Silva, piano
Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzhak Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. Beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent, he is treasured by audiences throughout the world who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also to his irrepressible joy for making music.
Having performed with every major orchestra and at concert halls around the globe, Perlman was granted a Presidential Medal of Freedom—the Nation’s highest civilian honor—by President Obama in 2015, a Kennedy Center Honor in 2003, a National Medal of Arts by President Clinton in 2000, and a Medal of Liberty by President Reagan in 1986. Perlman has been honored with 16 Grammy® Awards, four Emmy® Awards, a Kennedy Center Honor, a Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Genesis Prize.
In the 2022-23 season, Perlman conducted the LA Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl and the Houston Symphony on Mozart’s Requiem, and is joined by an illustrious group of collaborators—Emanuel Ax, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and the Juilliard String Quartet—in a special Itzhak Perlman and Friends program appearing in only three locations: Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall, UMS Ann Arbor, and Carnegie Hall. He continues touring An Evening with Itzhak Perlman, which captures highlights of his career through narrative and multi-media elements intertwined with performance, to Boston, Philadelphia, Long Island, Akron, Austin, and Naples, FL. He plays season-opening concerts for the Colorado Symphony, Vancouver Symphony and Florida Orchestra, and recitals across the U.S. with longtime collaborator Rohan De Silva.
He currently serves as Artistic Partner of the Houston Symphony in a partnership that commenced in the 2020-21 season and culminates at the end of 2023-24. He performs nine programs across three seasons that feature him in versatile appearances as conductor, soloist, recitalist, and presenter.
