25 Itzhak Perlman Quotes on Music, Perseverance, and the Joy of Playing

Itzhak Perlman (1945–) is an Israeli-American violinist, conductor, and music teacher who is widely considered one of the greatest violinists of the modern era. Stricken with polio at age four, he walks with crutches and plays seated, yet has become the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his generation, winning 16 Grammy Awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Few know that Perlman was rejected from the Shulamit Conservatory in Tel Aviv as a young child because he was too small to hold a full-size violin, that he first came to American attention at age 13 on "The Ed Sullivan Show," or that he recorded the violin solos for the "Schindler's List" film soundtrack.

In November 1995, during a concert at Avery Fisher Hall, Perlman broke a string in the middle of a performance. The audience expected him to stop and replace it — changing a string requires leaving the stage, which for Perlman means a long, painful walk on crutches. Instead, he signaled the conductor to continue, closed his eyes, and finished the piece on three strings, rearranging the music in his head as he played. When he finished, there was an awed silence followed by an explosive standing ovation. He reportedly said, "You know, sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left." This moment crystallized his philosophy — that limitations are not obstacles but invitations to discover new depths of expression.

Who Is Itzhak Perlman?

Itzhak Perlman was born on August 31, 1945, in Tel Aviv, in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine. His parents, Chaim and Shoshana Perlman, were Polish Jews who had immigrated to Palestine in the 1930s to escape the growing persecution in Europe. At the age of three, Perlman heard a violin being played on the radio and was immediately captivated. His parents, though of modest means, found him a small violin, and he began studying at the Shulamit Conservatory in Tel Aviv. At age four, he contracted polio, which left him unable to walk without crutches or braces — a condition that would shape his life but never diminish his artistry.

Perlman's extraordinary talent was recognized early. In 1958, at the age of thirteen, he appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing before millions of American television viewers and announcing himself as a prodigy of the first order. The appearance led to his enrollment at the Juilliard School in New York, where he studied under the legendary pedagogue Ivan Galamian and the virtuoso Dorothy DeLay. These years of rigorous training refined his technique without diminishing the natural warmth and emotional directness that would become his signature.

Perlman's professional career took flight after he won the Leventritt Competition in 1964, one of the most prestigious prizes in classical music. Over the following decades, he became the most in-demand violinist in the world, performing with every major orchestra and conductor, recording the core violin repertoire to universal acclaim, and appearing on television programs that brought classical music into homes that might never have encountered it otherwise. His recordings of the Beethoven and Brahms violin concertos, the complete Mozart violin sonatas, and the Bach solo sonatas and partitas are considered definitive.

Beyond the concert stage, Perlman has been a tireless advocate for music education and disability rights. He has taught at the Juilliard School and the Perlman Music Program, nurturing generations of young string players. His insistence on performing while seated, navigating stages with crutches, and traveling with the logistical challenges of a wheelchair has made him a powerful symbol of determination. He has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Kennedy Center Honors, the Genesis Prize, and sixteen Grammy Awards, among many other distinctions.

Now in his eighties, Perlman remains active as a performer, conductor, and teacher. His contribution to film music — most notably his performance of the solo violin theme in John Williams's score for Schindler's List — has reached audiences far beyond the classical concert hall. His playing is instantly recognizable for its rich, singing tone, its emotional generosity, and its technical ease. For more than six decades, Itzhak Perlman has reminded the world that the violin, in the right hands, can speak directly to the human heart.

Quotes on Music and Performance

Itzhak Perlman's philosophy of making music with whatever one has available was born from the defining experience of his life. Born in Tel Aviv in 1945, he contracted polio at age four and has used crutches and a wheelchair ever since — yet he became the most celebrated violinist of the late twentieth century. His 1958 appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show at age thirteen, performing before millions of American television viewers, announced the arrival of a prodigious talent that combined technical brilliance with extraordinary emotional warmth. A legendary 1995 concert at Lincoln Center, where he broke a string mid-performance and chose to continue playing on three strings rather than stop — retuning and rearranging the piece in real time — perfectly embodied his belief that artistry means working with what you have. His recordings of the Beethoven, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky violin concertos for EMI and Deutsche Grammophon are considered definitive interpretations that set the standard for modern violin performance.

Quotes on Practice and Perseverance

Perlman's approach to practice reflects the same discipline and determination that carried him through childhood polio and a lifetime of physical challenges. He studied at the Juilliard School under the legendary pedagogue Ivan Galamian and Dorothy DeLay, who recognized not only his extraordinary talent but his capacity for the relentless work that separates great musicians from good ones. His collaborations with pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and violinist Pinchas Zukerman produced chamber music recordings of unsurpassed beauty. Perlman's performances of John Williams's film scores — including the haunting violin solo for "Schindler's List" (1993), which won the Academy Award for Best Original Score — introduced his artistry to millions who might never have entered a concert hall. His sixteen Grammy Awards and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 only begin to measure the impact of a career devoted to the pursuit of musical perfection.

Quotes on Teaching and Education

Perlman's dedication to teaching has made him one of the most influential music educators of the modern era. As a faculty member at the Juilliard School and through his Perlman Music Program, founded in 1994 on Shelter Island, New York, he has mentored dozens of young violinists who have gone on to major careers. His teaching style emphasizes not just technical mastery but the ability to communicate emotion — he frequently tells students that the audience must feel something, not merely admire something. Perlman has been a tireless advocate for disability rights, and his mere presence on stages around the world — walking laboriously on crutches, settling into his chair, then producing sounds of ethereal beauty — has done more to change perceptions of disability than any awareness campaign. His 2015 performance at the White House for President Obama and his appearances at both the inaugurations of Barack Obama (2009) and Joe Biden (2021 via video) reflect his status as a national treasure whose music transcends politics.

Key Achievements and Episodes

Conquering Polio and the Concert Stage at Age 13

Itzhak Perlman was born in Tel Aviv to Polish immigrant parents and contracted polio at age four, leaving him unable to walk without crutches or leg braces. Despite this disability, he began studying violin at the Shulamit Conservatory and showed extraordinary talent. His parents' modest means — his father worked in a barber shop — could not afford a full-size violin, so young Itzhak practiced on a toy fiddle before receiving a proper instrument. At 13, he performed on the Ed Sullivan Show, captivating American audiences. He went on to study at Juilliard with Ivan Galamian and Dorothy DeLay, winning the Leventritt Competition in 1964 and launching one of the most celebrated violin careers of the 20th century.

The Ed Sullivan Show That Launched a Career

On November 13, 1958, the 13-year-old Itzhak Perlman appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, performing a movement from a Wieniawski violin concerto. Walking to center stage on his crutches, the boy from Tel Aviv delivered a performance of such maturity and brilliance that the audience was transfixed. The appearance brought him to the attention of American audiences and opened doors to study in the United States. The Juilliard School offered him admission, and he moved to New York, where he studied for six years. His 1964 victory at the Leventritt Competition led to a debut with the New York Philharmonic, beginning a career that would include 16 Grammy Awards and a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Schindler's List: The Violin Solo That Moved the World

In 1993, Steven Spielberg asked Itzhak Perlman to record the violin solos for the soundtrack of "Schindler's List," composed by John Williams. Perlman's performances of the haunting main theme and the klezmer-influenced passages became inseparable from the film's emotional impact. The soundtrack won the Academy Award for Best Original Score, and Perlman's contributions helped make it one of the best-selling classical recordings of the 1990s. Perlman, whose parents survived the Holocaust after emigrating from Poland, brought a deeply personal connection to the music. He has said that performing the score was one of the most meaningful experiences of his career.

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