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Legendary violin maestro Itzhak Perlman will return with a not-to-be-missed recital in November.
The recital will be held at 8pm on November 8 (Sunday) at the Concert Hall of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Perlman will perform with his long-time collaborator, pianist Rohan De Silva. The programme includes Leclair's "Violin Sonata in D", Brahms' "Scherzo in C Minor", Franck's "Violin Sonata in A" and Stravinsky's "Suite Italienne". Other works will be announced by Perlman on the stage.
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 who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also to his irrepressible joy in making music.
Born in Israel in 1945, Perlman completed his initial training at the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv. He went to New York and soon was propelled to national recognition in the US with an appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show" in 1958. Following his studies at the Juilliard School with Ivan Galamian and Dorothy DeLay, he won the prestigious Leventritt Competition in 1964, which led to a burgeoning worldwide career. Since then, Perlman has established himself as a cultural icon and a household name in classical music.
Having performed with every major orchestra and at venerable concert halls around the globe, Perlman was granted a Kennedy Center Honour in 2003 by the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in celebration of his distinguished achievements and contributions to the cultural and educational life of the US. He has performed multiple times at the White House, most recently in 2012 at the invitation of President Barack Obama and Mrs Obama for Israeli President and Presidential Medal of Freedom honouree Shimon Peres, and at a State Dinner in 2007 hosted by President George W Bush and Mrs Bush for Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. In 2009, Perlman was invited to take part in the Inauguration of President Obama, premiering a piece written for the occasion by John Williams alongside cellist Yo-Yo Ma, clarinettist Anthony McGill and pianist Gabriela Montero, for an audience of nearly 40 million television viewers in the United States and millions more throughout the world.
A major presence in the performing arts on television, Perlman has been honoured with four Emmy Awards. During the 78th Annual Academy Awards in 2006, he performed a live medley from the five film scores nominated in the category of the Best Original Score. One of Perlman's proudest achievements is his collaboration with film composer John Williams in Steven Spielberg's Academy Award-winning film "Schindler's List", in which he performed the violin solos. In 2008, Perlman was honoured with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in the recording arts. His recordings regularly appear on the best-seller charts and have garnered 16 Grammy awards.
"Encore Series: Violin Recital by Itzhak Perlman" is one of the programmes in the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's Great Music 2015 series. Tickets priced at $250, $480, $680, $880 and $1,080 will be available at URBTIX from August 12 (Wednesday) onwards. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and their minders, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients (limited tickets for full-time students and CSSA recipients are available on a first-come, first-served basis). A maximum discount of 20 per cent is offered for the Great Music 2015 package discount scheme. Please refer to the programme leaflet, the brochure or the website for details.
Highlights of Great Music 2015 also include "Piano Recital by Nelson Freire" (September 8), "Hagen Quartet" (October 6), "Vienna Boys Choir" (October 10 and 11), "Singapore Chinese Orchestra" (October 17 and 18), "Concert by Ian Bostridge and Xuefei Yang" (October 25) and Verdi's opera "Il Trovatore" by Musica Viva (December 11 to 13).
For enquiries on programmes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/program_786.html. For telephone credit card booking, please call 2111 5999. Tickets can also be booked online at www.urbtix.hk.
Ends/Monday, August 10, 2015
Issued at HKT 14:54
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