UPDATED: The Perlman concert, scheduled for 7:30 tonight at the Eisenhower Auditorium, has been postponed because of illness. The recital will be rescheduled at a later date.
Superstars in the world of sports are easy to come by, but superstars in classical music are not as plentiful.
One man who has undeniably reached this status is violinist Itzhak Perlman, returning at 7:30 tonight to the Eisenhower Auditorium after 14 years.
George Trudeau, director of the Center for Performing Arts (CPA), said the center has been working for a number of years to bring Perlman back to Eisenhower.
"I think it is safe to say that [Perlman] is the greatest violinist in the world presently. He has a sound of his own, and it is amazing to hear him play," Trudeau said.
Perlman, an Israeli-born musician, will perform with pianist Rohan De Silva, a native of Sri Lanka, and, like Perlman, a faculty member at The Juilliard School in New York City. They frequently perform together in recitals.
Perlman said although many recitals may feature solo pieces, there is truly no such thing as soloing and accompanying. They are one and together.
"When you perform with a pianist, it's a collaborative experience," Perlman said. "[In] the pieces that you play, there's no such thing, as far as I'm concerned, as accompanying. Everything, for me, has the flavor of chamber music."
Laura Sullivan, marketing and communications director for CPA, said this concert is the highlight of the season.
"This is a rare opportunity to hear the most incredible classical performer. And the student price is incredible. It is a chance you shouldn't miss," she said. "Whether or not you love classical music, you can sit and enjoy it. Everyone can appreciate his musical caliber."
Prior to the show, Artistic Viewpoints will be hosted by James Lyon, violinist and professor of music at Penn State. He said that in this short program, he will try to make the music more acceptable to the audience.
"I will talk about the music and the performer to introduce the audience to music they will hear," Lyon said.
Lyon said the show will also come with "surprises." There have only been three announced pieces. The rest are up in the air.
"The rest of the pieces that will be performed will be announced from the stage. [Perlman] will come out with a big stack of music and may even take requests from the audience," Lyon said. "It adds a level of spontaneity to the show."
Perlman has earned 15 Grammy Awards and four Emmy Awards, the most recent for Fiddling for the Future, a PBS documentary about the Perlman Music Program. Founded in 1995 by Perlman and his wife, Toby, the program includes a summer session for musicians ages 12 to 18. There, the aspiring young musicians play individually, in chamber ensembles and as part of an orchestra.
"When you teach others, you cannot avoid but teach yourself. And, so as a result, what happens is that everything is intertwined," Perlman said. "And so the conducting helps the playing. The playing helps the conducting. The teaching helps everything."
Lyon greatly respects Perlman for all he has overcome in his life. Perlman contracted polio at the age of four, and although he made a good recovery, he generally uses crutches for mobility and plays the violin while seated.
"He is an incredible spokesman for anyone with disabilities," Lyon said. "He has struggled against the odds, and I think people feel they can relate to him. He hasn't had his life handed to him on a silver platter."
Perlman's pure mastery is what Lyon said only he can bring. "His mastery of the instrument is so complete it looks like anyone could do it," Lyon said. "There is an ease, a comfort level, that makes it seem approachable, easy and fun. It's very unique because no one else can make it look like child's play."
