Itzhak Perlman Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzhak Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. Beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent, he has come to be recognized by audiences all over the world who respond not only to his flawless technique, but to the irrepressible joy of making music which he communicates. President Reagan recognized these qualities when he honored Mr. Perlman with a "Medal of Liberty " in 1986. Born in Israel in 1945, Perlman completed his initial training at the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv. He came to New York and soon was propelled into the international arena with an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1958. Following his studies at the Juilliard School, with Ivan Galamian and Dorothy DeLay, Perlman won the prestigious Leventritt Competition in 1964, which led to a burgeoning world-wide career. Since then, Itzhak Perlman has appeared with every major orchestra and in recitals and festivals throughout the world. In November of 1987 he joined the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra for history-making concerts in Warsaw and Budapest, representing the first performance by this orchestra and soloist in Eastern bloc countries. He again made history as he j oined the Israel Philharmonic for its first visit to the Soviet Union in April/May of 1990, and was cheered by audiences in Moscow and Leningrad who thronged to hear his recital and orchestral performances. In December of 1994 he joined the Israel Philharmonic for their first visits to China and India. Perlman's recordings regularly appear on the best-seller charts and have won fifteen Grammy Awards. His most recent Grammy was awarded in 1996 for THE AMERICAN ALBUM, with works by Barber, Bernstein and Foss, with Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Other recent releases include the Beethoven Triple Concerto with Daniel Barenboim, Yo-Yo Ma and the Berlin Philharmonic (EMI) ; a recording of short violin and piano pieces, BITS AND PIECES, with Samuel Sanders (EMI); and a collaboration with pianist Oscar Peterson, guitarist Herb Ellis, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Grady Tate in some of the great classics of jazz (Telarc) . Throughout 1995 EMI honored Mr. Perlman on the occasion of his 50th birthday as "Artist of the Year" with the release of a 21 disc set entitled The ITZHAK PERLMAN COLLECTION. The release of this set coincided with The Definitive Perlman Experience festival in London in which Mr. Perlman performed seven concertos in four concerts at the Royal Festival Hall. One of Perlman's proudest achievements was his collaboration with film score composer John Williams in Steven Spielberg ' s Academy Award winning film "Schindler's List" in which he performed the violin solos. His presence on stage, on camera and in personal appearances of all kinds speaks eloquently on behalf of the handicapped and disabled, and his devotion to their cause is an integral part of his life. Itzhak Perlman lives in New York with his wife, Toby, and their family.