Itzhak Perlman rose to fame on the Ed Sullivan show, where he performed as a child prodigy at just 13 years old. Now a sixteen-time Grammy Award-winner, Perlman has performed with every major orchestra and at venerable concert halls around the globe. Perlman was granted a Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama in 2015, the Nation’s highest civilian honor, 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.
A major presence in the performing arts on television, Perlman has received four Emmy Awards, including one for the PBS documentary Fiddling for the Future, a film about the Perlman Music Program. Founded in 1993, the Perlman Music Program offers unparalleled musical training to young string players through intensive summer programs and mentoring.
Perlman has entertained and enlightened millions of television viewers on popular shows including The Late Show with David Letterman, Sesame Street, The Frugal Gourmet, The Tonight Show and multiple Grammy Awards telecasts.
Having garnered 16 Grammy Awards over the years with his best-selling recordings, Perlman was honored in 2008 with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in the recording arts.
Born in Israel in 1945, Perlman completed his initial training at the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv. Following his studies at the Juilliard School, Perlman won the prestigious Leventritt Competition in 1964, which led to a burgeoning worldwide career.
Numerous publications and institutions have paid tribute to Itzhak Perlman for the unique place he occupies in the artistic and humanitarian fabric of our times. He was awarded an honorary doctorate and a centennial medal on the occasion of Juilliard’s 100th commencement ceremony in May 2005. To learn more about Itzhak Perlman and explore our collection, check out this resource guide.
BOOKED for the evening is the Library’s signature fundraising event. Previous award winners are Tom Brokaw, E.L. Doctorow, Calvin Trillin, Wendy Wasserstein, Pete Hamill, Martin Scorsese, Arthur Mitchell, Doris Kearns Goodwin, David Halberstam, Oscar Hijuelos, Adam Gopnik, Will Shortz, Patti Smith, Barry Levinson, Jon Meacham, Nile Rodgers, Lynsey Addario, Ron Chernow, Alan Alda, Justin Paul, and Frederic Chiu.
