Celebrity Series audiences have loved the great violinist Itzhak Perlman since his first Boston recital in 1971, although his time in the spotlight predates even his childhood appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1958 at the age of fourteen. In the years since he first wowed television audiences, his considerable charm and wit–along with his staggering talent–have helped him become an international treasure.

A sixteen-time Grammy and four-time Emmy award winner, Itzhak Perlman is also known for his achievements and contributions to the cultural and educational life of the nation, spotlighted when he earned a Kennedy Center Honor from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2003.  He has received multiple distinctions from U.S. commanders in chief over the years: a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nation’s highest civilian honor, from President Obama in 2015; a National Medal of Arts from President Clinton in 2000; and a Medal of Liberty from President Reagan in 1986.

This special afternoon, produced by Elliott Forrest, will give Perlman fans a deeply personal glimpse into his boyhood in Tel Aviv and New York, and the earliest years of his long and celebrated career.

Appearing with Perlman is his longtime performance partner, pianist Rohan De Silva. The duo has appeared many times together, but this performance transcends a traditional recital to deliver a warm, humorous, personal look back over a legendary life and career.