Who

One of the most famous violinists in the world, Perlman is as close to a living legend as you get in the world of classical music.

Backstory

Born in Israel in 1945, Perlman studied at the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv as a boy before arriving in New York to study at Juilliard at the age of 13. An appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1958 gained him a number of early fans, but he only became a true classical music star in 1964 when he won the Leventritt competition, widely considered the most prestigious American musical contest. Since then, he's appeared with just about every major orchestra around the world (including a number of notable appearances with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra), won countless awards and honors (a Medal of Liberty bestowed by President Reagan in 1986, and National Medal of the Arts bestowed by President Clinton in 2000, and no less than 15 Grammys) and performed before presidents, prime ministers, kings and queens. To less rarified types, he's better known for his appearances on TV shows like David Letterman, Sesame Street and The Tonight Show, where he turned up whenever a little high culture was in order.

Of note

Perlman was a violin superstar during the '70s and '80s and was guaranteed to pack concert halls. In the 90s, he broadened his name recognition somewhat by recording music for a few popular films, notably Schindler's List, and later worked with Yo-Yo Ma for provide instrumentals for Rob Marshall's Memoirs of a Geisha. Now in his 60s, it seems his halcyon days are behind him. Performances over the past decade haven't earned the stellar reviews of yore (Times critic Anthony Tommasini called one of Perlman's recent performances "perfunctory" and once said that it was "sad to see so gigantically talented a musician coasting on his success"), and lately Perlman has turned more of his attention to conducting.

Medical file

Perlman contracted polio as a child—he wears braces on his legs and uses crutches to get on and off stage. In the '80s, he was a very vocal supporter of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was signed into law in 1990.

Personal

Perlman and his wife Toby have four children: Noah, Navah, Leora and Rami. They live in a townhouse on West 70th Street that's equipped with an elevator to help Perlman get from floor to floor. They also own a summerhouse in East Hampton.

Soundbite

A note to high-pressure stage moms: Don't lock your kid in his room with a violin all day. "I never practiced more than about three hours a day. It depends on the gift, the talent. After five hours, it becomes useless," Perlman once said.