Encouraging young performers to “be flexible” with how they approach their future careers, Itzhak Perlman imparted wisdom Tuesday on Elon University students in Yeager Recital Hall who asked questions of the world’s most recognizable name in classical music.
Just remember, he said, “the players who are very, very good have to be more imaginative” in an era where the way audiences choose to hear that music is changing and the opportunities to perform are likewise evolving.
Perlman conversed with Elon University students and faculty Tuesday afternoon in a Yeager Recital Hall question-and-answer opportunity that welcomed dozens of music majors to quiz the violin virtuoso on his career and philosophy of performance.
The award-winning musician reflected on his approach to music and what he considers his favorite performance piece. “A lot of people ask me that, and I have a set answer: The one I’m playing at the moment is my favorite piece,” Perlman explained. “If I have a favorite piece, that means the others aren’t a favorite.
“You can ask me what’s the least favorite piece I play … but I don’t answer because I don’t want to prejudice anyone here from staying away from the piece I hate!”
Moderated by Professor Jon Metzger in the Department of Music, Perlman’s Oct. 6 talk preceded remarks and musical selections performed at Elon University’s Fall Convocation.
After all, he said, when a musician practices, the amount of time he or she commits is almost negligible. Musicians can practice five hours a day and not accomplish anything.
“Practicing is all about repetition. That’s where the danger is,” he said. “If you practice wrong, and you play a note 10 times out of tune, your brain is going to learn to play that note out of tune, and it’s difficult to erase. You have to make sure you’re in control of everything you do.”
Having performed with every major orchestra and at venerable concert halls around the globe, Perlman was granted a Kennedy Center Honor 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 United States.
He has received four Emmy Awards, including one for the PBS documentary “Fiddling for the Future,” a film about the Perlman Music Program and his work as a teacher and conductor there.
A 16-time Grammy Award winner for his best-selling recordings, Perlman was honored in 2008 with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in the recording arts. Born in Israel in 1945, he completed his initial training at the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv. Harvard, Yale, Brandeis, Roosevelt, Yeshiva and Hebrew universities are among the institutions which have awarded him honorary degrees.