Itzhak Perlman Quotes

Powerful Itzhak Perlman for Daily Growth

About Itzhak Perlman

Itzhak Perlman, born on August 31, 1945, in Tel Aviv, Israel, is a renowned violinist and teacher of international standing, admired worldwide for his virtuosity, charisma, and versatility. Perlman contracted polio at the age of four, leaving him with partial paralysis that he overcame through sheer determination and passion for music. By the age of eight, he was already performing publicly in Israel. In 1957, his family immigrated to the United States, where Perlman attended the Juilliard School in New York City under the tutelage of Ivan Galamian. Perlman's career took off with his debut at Carnegie Hall in 1963. He has since performed with numerous orchestras and conductors, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, and Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. His repertoire spans four centuries of classical music. Influenced by a wide range of artists from Bach to Brahms, Perlman is known for his interpretations of Jewish music. He has recorded numerous albums, including "Brahms & Joachim Violin Concertos" and "Perlman Plays Strings Attached." Apart from his musical endeavors, Perlman is also a passionate teacher and advocate for arts education. He has held faculty positions at Juilliard and Indiana University, Bloomington. His work off-stage includes advocacy for various causes such as disability rights, Israel advocacy, and education reform. Perlman's life story, marked by adversity turned into triumph, inspires millions worldwide. His quotes reflect his unique perspective on music, life, and the power of perseverance: "Music is the language of the spirit. It cuts through all languages to touch us in a universal, emotional way."

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"To have an instrument is to have a partner."

This quote by Itzhak Perlman suggests that for musicians, instruments are not mere tools but living partners in their creative endeavors. The relationship between a musician and their instrument is symbiotic - the instrument amplifies the musician's emotions, ideas, and artistry, while the musician breathes life into the instrument's sound. This metaphor emphasizes the deep connection and mutual dependency that exists between musicians and their instruments in the act of music creation.

"Being a musician isn't just about the notes you play; it's also about who you are as a person."

This quote by Itzhak Perlman suggests that being a musician encompasses more than merely playing the correct notes on an instrument. Instead, it highlights the importance of an individual's character in their artistic expression. In essence, who they are as people—their emotions, experiences, and personal qualities—influences their music, making their performances authentic and meaningful. It implies that a musician's artistry is shaped by both technical skill and the depth of their humanity, creating a unique and powerful connection between artist and audience.

"Disability is my opportunity to inspire people."

This quote by Itzhak Perlman encapsulates his profound perspective on adversity and its transformative power. Perlman, a world-renowned violinist who has lived with physical disabilities since childhood, sees his disability not as a burden or limitation, but as an opportunity to inspire others. His unique experiences have given him the ability to touch people's lives in ways that able-bodied individuals may not be able to. This perspective serves as a powerful reminder that every challenge we face can become a chance for growth, connection, and inspiration when viewed with the right attitude.

"I was lucky to be born with a violin in my hands."

This quote by Itzhak Perlman suggests that he feels fortunate, or "lucky," because his natural talent for playing the violin was present from birth. It's not just about having a physical instrument; it's about possessing an innate gift and passion for music. In essence, Perlman is emphasizing the role of luck, combined with personal ability, in shaping his musical career and life.

"The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between."

This quote by Itzhak Perlman suggests that the essence of music lies not only in the played notes, but also, if not more so, in the pauses or silences between them. These moments create rhythmic and emotional depth, adding nuance to the overall musical experience. Just as a good conversation relies on both words and pauses for effective communication, music thrives on the interplay of sound and silence.

Every person with a disability is an individual.

- Itzhak Perlman

Person, Individual, Every, Disability

I don't feel that the conductor has real power. The orchestra has the power, and every member of it knows instantaneously if you're just beating time.

- Itzhak Perlman

Feel, Real Power, Beating

I look at raising funds for The Perlman Music Program as a challenge and as a way to provide opportunities for people who care about the future of classical music.

- Itzhak Perlman

About, Raising, Classical, Funds

For every child prodigy that you know about, at least 50 potential ones have burned out before you even heard about them.

- Itzhak Perlman

Before, About, Least, Burned

Child prodigy is a curse because you've got all those terrible possibilities.

- Itzhak Perlman

Possibilities, Curse, Prodigy

The difference is that with Ebola, it is such a devastating disease, and there is still no cure. They're still working on vaccines. The fact of the matter with polio, there is a cure; there is a vaccine.

- Itzhak Perlman

Fact, Disease, Still, Vaccine

When I came to the United States, I appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show as a 13-year-old, and I played a Mendelssohn Concerto, and it sounded like a talented 13-year-old with a lot of promise. But it did not sound like a finished product.

- Itzhak Perlman

Sound, United, Ed Sullivan, Concerto

When you play a concerto with a small orchestra, you don't feel it is as important as Carnegie Hall. You try to work out all the little problems. Once that's all done, trust comes in.

- Itzhak Perlman

Trust, Small, Play, Concerto

You get more nervous in front of a lot of people. That's why, when you play a concerto, you play with a small orchestra, in some place where you don't feel that it is as important as Carnegie Hall.

- Itzhak Perlman

Small, Play, Some, Concerto

Competition can be the most nerve-racking experience. Some people just thrive on it.

- Itzhak Perlman

Competition, Some, Most, Nerve-Racking

Brahms is one of my all-time favorite composers.

- Itzhak Perlman

Favorite, Composers, All-Time

I'm a mushroom freak. I make a mushroom soup where I use maybe six or seven varieties, not just portobello and shiitake, but dried porcini and morels.

- Itzhak Perlman

Soup, Maybe, Six, Dried

I always find Bach to be an expression of a love of life. There's an enthusiasm that's absolutely contagious.

- Itzhak Perlman

Love, Always, Expression, Contagious

The 'Mozart Symphony No. 27' is an early composition. I find it charming.

- Itzhak Perlman

Find, Charming, Composition, Mozart

My experience with the Detroit Symphony has been musically very satisfying. They have a wonderful sound, which for me is one of the most important qualities in an orchestra.

- Itzhak Perlman

Been, Very, Which, Satisfying

That's the goal, to survive your gift.

- Itzhak Perlman

Gift, Goal, Survive, To Survive

It is good medicine to go to a concert hall and forget the harshness of what's going on. It can be a very positive thing.

- Itzhak Perlman

Go, Going, Very, Positive Thing

I am humbled and honored to receive the Genesis Prize, recognizing not just my professional achievements and my desire to improve the world, but also my commitment to my Jewish identity, Jewish values, and Jewish culture.

- Itzhak Perlman

Achievements, Receive, Genesis

If you can read, then you can recite Shakespeare. But that's not acting.

- Itzhak Perlman

Read, Shakespeare, Then, Recite

The problems of the disabled are unpopular.

- Itzhak Perlman

Problems, Disabled, Unpopular

A lot of society tries to put people with disabilities into one cube, and when you think about it, many, many people have different types of disabilities, and you cannot put a code that applies to towards everyone - generally, they can be guidelines, but in the long run, interior designers and architects need more education on the subject.

- Itzhak Perlman

Education, Code, Tries, Guidelines

I met my wife in music camp. She's got great ears, and we have a relationship where she's not afraid to tell me anything. If something's going on in my playing, she will tell me about it, and that's very, very important.

- Itzhak Perlman

Tell, Very, About, Camp

This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in five or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development.

- Itzhak Perlman

Fact, Young, Tastes, Wine

I'm now doing three things: concerts, conducting, and teaching, and they each support each other. I learn to see things from different perspectives and listen with different ears. The most important thing that you need to do is really listen.

- Itzhak Perlman

Doing, Other, Teaching, Perspectives

I love to work with young kids.

- Itzhak Perlman

Love, Young, I Love, Young Kids

If you put four different people on a podium conducting the same downbeat, you get four different sounds. It's a little mysterious and fascinating. There's so much you can do with motions and body movements besides giving accurate beats.

- Itzhak Perlman

Body, Accurate, Movements, Motions

I have a very simple philosophy. One has to separate the abilities from the disabilities. The fact I cannot walk, that I need crutches or a scooter or whatever it is, has nothing to do with my playing the violin.

- Itzhak Perlman

Fact, Violin, Very, Disabilities

Access Living is a powerful voice for people in the Chicago area who live with disabilities.

- Itzhak Perlman

Voice, Access, Area, Disabilities

I say to string players in small chamber orchestras, 'it's always easy to become a passenger on the journey in sound, just adding volume to the whole. But if you play in an individual way, it makes the difference between good and great sound in an orchestra.'

- Itzhak Perlman

Small, Play, String, Passenger

Israel is the country of my birth. When I come here, I feel I'm coming home.

- Itzhak Perlman

Birth, Country, Here, Coming Home

I have always been very proud of my Jewish heritage, which has greatly influenced my music, my world view, and my work as an advocate for individuals whom society often leaves behind.

- Itzhak Perlman

Always, Very, Which, Greatly

Any gifted child can potentially get in real trouble because of the way they are handled.

- Itzhak Perlman

Gifted, Get, Handled, Potentially

As for minimalism, I don't care, don't care, don't care to repeat myself, repeat myself.

- Itzhak Perlman

Myself, Care, Repeat, Minimalism

A lot of people ask me, 'What is your goal now that you have done everything?' And I always say that my goal is to not be bored by what I do. The only way that I cannot be bored by what I do is if I play something and it's all new to me.

- Itzhak Perlman

Play, New, Always, Bored

That makes classical music work, the ability to improvise.

- Itzhak Perlman

Work, Music, Makes, Classical Music

I have just one fiddle. It works, and that's it. It has been an old friend.

- Itzhak Perlman

Been, Just One, Works, Old Friend

Life is always full of challenges. I believe you're never happy unless you're consistently making challenges for yourself.

- Itzhak Perlman

Challenges, Always, Making, I Believe

Sometimes you get from the mouth of kids wonderful things.

- Itzhak Perlman

Mouth, Sometimes, Get, Wonderful Things

Another thing that I don't like to do is show too much how it goes. I do it once in a blue moon. Sometimes there are lessons when I don't pick up a violin at all.

- Itzhak Perlman

Violin, Goes, Like, Lessons

I've been lucky to conduct the very best orchestras in the world: New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Berlin, the London Philharmonic.

- Itzhak Perlman

Lucky, Very, Francisco, Orchestra

In Paris they have special wheelchairs that go through every doorway. They don't change the doorways, they change the wheelchairs. To hell with the people! If someone weighs a couple more pounds, that's it!

- Itzhak Perlman

Through, Couple, Weighs, Doorway

I actually wanted to play the violin before I had polio, and then afterwards, there was no reason not to.

- Itzhak Perlman

Play, Reason, Actually, Polio

Everybody's saying, you know, 'You're so heroic and so on despite of the polio that you had and so on.' Look, I had polio when I was four. So when you're four years old, you know, you get used to things very, very quickly.

- Itzhak Perlman

Old, Everybody, Very, Polio

'Kol Nidrei' is probably the most important prayer in the Jewish religion. It comes on the evening of Yom Kippur. There are so many different renditions of it.

- Itzhak Perlman

Jewish, The Most Important, Evening

The danger in playing a piece over and over again lies in getting stuck in a rut where you don't ask questions anymore and you always play it the same way.

- Itzhak Perlman

Play, Always, Over, Stuck

I always find that there is a real communication between voice and violin.

- Itzhak Perlman

Voice, Violin, Always, Between

The thing about talent is that it comes at different ages, sometimes at a very early age. That's when I find it to be the most challenging.

- Itzhak Perlman

Very, Very Early Age, Early Age

A talented child will have a schedule that is horrendous. You get up and practice, go to school, practice some more, eat dinner, and then you have homework.

- Itzhak Perlman

Practice, Will, Some, Horrendous

A sponge has that much absorbent capability and after a while you can pour water over it and nothing stays.

- Itzhak Perlman

Over, Over It, Sponge, Capability

Preparing for a future in music is an expensive proposition.

- Itzhak Perlman

Music, Future, Proposition, Preparing

Architects have to become more aware of exactly what is involved in designing barrier-free buildings and homes.

- Itzhak Perlman

Aware, Involved, Architects, Designing

For people who are really talented, what you don't say becomes extremely important. You have to judge what to say and what to leave alone so you can let the talent develop.

- Itzhak Perlman

People, Say, Develop, Talented

If you put your hand on the piano, you play a note. It's in tune. But if you put it on the violin, maybe it is, maybe it isn't. You have to figure it out.

- Itzhak Perlman

Play, Violin, Note, Hand

Believe me, I've had interviews where the person says, 'So when did you start and why? What about your parents?' I say to them, 'Please, have you heard of the word 'Google?'

- Itzhak Perlman

Start, Why, About, Parents

I'm a great sports fan, you know. I love to watch tennis and basketball and baseball and so on.

- Itzhak Perlman

Love, Sports, Great, Tennis

My oldest daughter is a pianist; she plays concerts. We play together, also.

- Itzhak Perlman

Play, She, Concerts, Oldest

The arts are part of the fiber of American society and should get Federal support.

- Itzhak Perlman

Society, Part, Fiber, Federal

There are people who are uncanny, who are finished products at a young age. I wasn't, thank God.

- Itzhak Perlman

People, Young, Finished, Young Age

To bring a large audience to a piece of serious music and make it accessible does not mean reducing it in any way. And I've learned that if something is good, even if it is a little difficult, people will get that it is good.

- Itzhak Perlman

Good, Bring, Accessible, Reducing

In the musician, there is a tendency to have a narrowness. It's all compartmentalized. I am playing the violin; that's all I know, nothing else, no education, no nothing. You just practice every day.

- Itzhak Perlman

Education, Practice, Violin, Musician

When you live in a small country such as Israel, the dream of any musician is to go abroad.

- Itzhak Perlman

Small, Country, Abroad, Musician

One of the most important elements in teaching, conducting, and performing, all three, is listening.

- Itzhak Perlman

Listening, Important, Most, Conducting

When I was growing up in Israel, Cantorial music was something I heard over and over on the radio, so it wasn't at all strange to me. I was very familiar with the music.

- Itzhak Perlman

Something, Over, Very, Familiar

Whenever I play recitals, the part where I talk about music and my experiences of music, audiences always like it. They feel more involved with an artist who talks to them. It's a nice experience for me as well.

- Itzhak Perlman

Play, Artist, Part, Audiences

When you are 8 or 9, you should have a childhood. You should have adolescence. You should go through everything in a normal way.

- Itzhak Perlman

Childhood, Through, Normal, Adolescence

There is no such thing as getting rid of nervousness.

- Itzhak Perlman

Getting, Nervousness, Thing, Rid

My message is that giving is very important. Giving is a Jewish thing, and I like to talk about that. There's nothing more important, personally, for anybody than being able to give.

- Itzhak Perlman

Give, Like, Very, Message

The most important thing to do is really listen.

- Itzhak Perlman

Important, Most, Listen

I am playing the violin, that's all I know, nothing else, no education, no nothing. You just practice every day.

- Itzhak Perlman

Education, Practice, Violin

Television will always err on the side of making something not quite as classy as it could be.

- Itzhak Perlman

Always, Making, Side, Classy

The thing is that I always consider myself lucky that I can actually cry listening to some music.

- Itzhak Perlman

Lucky, Always, Actually, Cry

Teaching is really very, very important. I always tell my students that you should find an opportunity to teach. When you teach others, you teach yourself.

- Itzhak Perlman

Tell, Always, Very, Teaching

I am an eternal optimist. I always say 'Yihyeh Tov' or 'It'll get better.'

- Itzhak Perlman

I Am, Better, Always, Eternal

Only one of my grandchildren is serious about a musical instrument. The others dabble in it.

- Itzhak Perlman

Grandchildren, Only, About, Musical

So many things can drive you mad as a child, not only music.

- Itzhak Perlman

Music, Only, Things, Mad

An amazing gift in a young child is, in some ways, an abnormality.

- Itzhak Perlman

Gift, Amazing, Some, Young Child

Trust your ability!

- Itzhak Perlman

Ability, Your, Trust

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