Violin Virtuoso Itzhak Perlman to perform April 13 at the Phillips Center

April 2, 2008

GAINESVILLE, Fla.—At the Grammy Awards ceremony in February, Itzhak Perlman received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the music world. This April, the legendary violinist will perform at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, 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 to his remarkable artistry and his irrepressible joy in making music.

Born in Israel in 1945, Perlman completed his initial training at the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv. An appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1958 propelled him into the international arena. Following his studies at The Juilliard School with Ivan Galamian and Dorothy DeLay, Perlman won the prestigious Leventritt Competition in 1964, which led to a burgeoning worldwide career. Since then, Itzhak Perlman has appeared with every major orchestra, as well as in recitals and festivals around the world.

In addition, Perlman is also a frequent presence on the conductor’s podium, leading such prestigious groups as the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Concertgebouw Orchestra, National Symphony, London Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the symphony orchestras of San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Montreal and Toronto. From 2002-2004, he served as the music advisor for the St. Louis Symphony, where he made regular conducting appearances, and from 2001-2005 he was principal guest conductor of the Detroit Symphony.

In addition to receiving numerous Grammy awards, Perlman is also the recipient of four Emmy awards. His most recent Emmy was for the PBS documentary “Fiddling for the Future,” a film about the Perlman Music Program and his work as a teacher and conductor there. Other television appearances include “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “Sesame Street,” the PBS series “The Frugal Gourmet,” “The Tonight Show,” numerous “Live from Lincoln Center” broadcasts — including “The Juilliard School: Celebrating 100 Years” — and a number of PBS specials, including “A Musical Toast” and “Mozart by the Masters,” in which he served both as host and featured performer.

One of Perlman’s proudest achievements is his collaboration with film score composer John Williams on Steven Spielberg’s Academy Award-winning film “Schindler’s List,” in which he performed the violin solos. He can also be heard as the violin soloist on the soundtrack of Zhang Yimou’s film “Hero,” music by Tan Dun, and Rob Marshall’s “Memoirs of a Geisha,” music by John Williams.

Over the past decade, Perlman has become more actively involved in educational activities. He has taught full time at the Perlman Music Program each summer since it was founded and currently holds the Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation Chair at The Juilliard School.

Perlman will be accompanied by Pianist Rohan De Silva when he performs at 7:30 p.m. on April 13 at the Phillips Center. Tickets are $65, front orchestra and mezzanine; $50, mid-orchestra; $45, rear orchestra; and $40, balcony. The performance is sponsored by Shands HealthCare and The Alan and Carol Squitieri Performing Arts Endowment.

Tickets are available by calling the Phillips Center Box Office at 352-392-ARTS (2787) or 800-905-ARTS, a toll-free number within Florida. Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster, 904-353-3309, or toll free at 800-277-1700. Orders may also be faxed to 352-846-1562. Tickets are also available in person at the Phillips Center Box Office, University Box Office at the Reitz Union and all Ticketmaster outlets. Ticketmaster is available on the internet at www.ticketmaster.com. Cash, checks, Visa and MasterCard are accepted. Group tickets are also available.

The Phillips Center Box Office is open Monday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. and two hours prior to the performance.

Performance dates, times and programs are subject to change.