Superstar Violinist Itzhak Perlman Performs Sept. 27 at Eisenhower Auditorium
September 11, 2007
Itzhak Perlman, the most famous classical musician on the planet, returns to Penn State for the first time in 14 years to perform a recital with pianist Rohan De Silva at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, in Eisenhower Auditorium.
Hear an exclusive podcast interview with Perlman at www.cpa.psu.edu/previews.
Section one and two tickets for the Center for the Performing Arts presentation are $61 and $51 for an adult, $36 and $26 for a University Park student and $43 and $33 for a person 18 and younger. Buy tickets online at www.cpa.psu.edu or by phone at (814) 863-0255. Outside the local calling area, dial 1-800-ARTS-TIX. Tickets are also on sale at four State College locations: Eisenhower Auditorium (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays), Penn State Tickets Downtown (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday), HUB-Robeson Center (11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays) and Bryce Jordan Center (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays). A grant from the Penn State Student Activities Fee Funds makes University Park student prices possible.
De Silva, a native of Sri Lanka and like Perlman a faculty member at The Juilliard School in New York City, frequently performs with the violinist. The pianist has also performed with other violin virtuosos, including Joshua Bell, Midori, Gil Shaham, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and Pinchas Zukerman.
"When you perform with a pianist it's a collaborative experience. [In] the pieces that you play there's no such thing, as far as I'm concerned, as accompanying," Perlman says. "Everything, for me, has the flavor of chamber music."
Perlman has earned 15 Grammy Awards, the most recent for The American Album with Conductor Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., recognized Perlman in 2003 with a Kennedy Center Honor celebrating the violinist's achievements and contributions to the cultural and educational vitality of America. President Clinton awarded Perlman the National Medal of Arts in 2000, while President Reagan bestowed upon him the Medal of Liberty in 1986.
One of Perlman's finest hours came in his performance of the John Williams-composed violin solos for Steven Spielberg's Academy Award-winning film Schindler's List. He was also the violin soloist for Rob Marshall's Memoirs of a Geisha, another film for which Williams composed the score.
Perlman, who also began conducting major orchestras a decade ago, enjoys a superstar status not often associated with a classical musician. Part of that can be explained by his remarkable musicianship and the joy with which he plays with leading orchestras, in recitals and at major festivals. His fame and visibility are also due to his comfort with the media. Perlman has long been a fixture on television, making appearances on programs as varied as Sesame Street, The Late Show with David Letterman and Live from Lincoln Center.
Robert and Helen Harvey sponsor the performance. WPSU is the media sponsor. Hillel, the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, and the Penn State Jewish Studies program provide promotional assistance. Artistic Viewpoints, an informal discussion featuring violinist James Lyon, a Penn State professor, is offered in Eisenhower Auditorium one hour before the performance and is free for ticket holders. Artistic Viewpoints regularly fills to capacity. Seating is available on a first-arrival basis.
Contact: Laura Sullivan, 814-863-6379