Jack Pepper's Culture Bunker with Itzhak Perlman

On Saturday 29th May Jack Pepper was joined by violinist Itzhak Perlman. Jack Spoke about everything from working on the score for Schindler's List to performing to the likes of President Barack Obama and the Queen, as well as the difficulties he has faced with his disability.

Itzhak Perlman on Defining Success

“I would define success by telling you that I'm still enthusiastic about what I do for a living” answered Perlman when asked how he would define a life well lived and a talent lived up to. “I'm still enthusiastic. I'm still passionate. And for me, that's the most if you're gonna say what is the thing that you think is made you successful? For me that success is still after all these years, to be enthusiastic about what I do. That for me is success.”

Itzhak Perlman on Accessibility in Venues

When Itzhak Perlman was four years old, he contracted polio, which has left him permanently disabled and has walked using leg braces and crutches, and plays the violin while seated. As of 2018, he uses crutches or an electric Amigo scooter for mobility.

“It wasn't so much as opposition is not believing in me that I could do it because of my disability” answered Perlman when asked if there were any obstacles faced because of his disability. “I had to force people to isolate my disability from my ability. I suppose that it's a little more difficult to do that, because people always no matter what, the way you play, they always look at you. So, when they look at you sitting down, as you say with braces and so on, somehow it does something to their listening.

“Some people think, oh, my goodness is pretty good for somebody who sits down. I always mentioned to people that most violinists sit down when they play. When you think about players in orchestras and chamber music. They all sit down. It's a small percentage of us who stand up when we play.”

Having to tour the world, Perlman is used to staying in hotel rooms and visiting concert venues, however with this comes accessibility difficulties. “There is much more talk these days, of course, and codes to make concert halls accessible” explained Perlman. “Sometimes people forget that what accessible means. If you have a dressing room and they put a toilet in the dressing room, is the door wide enough for you to get in if you're in a wheelchair?

“Whenever I check into a hotel, I always have to ask for the management to take some photographs of the bathroom in the room just to make sure that I can get into this room because people have sometimes are a little bit clueless, as to what makes a place accessible.

“In concert halls, of course, I've been known to frequently be familiar with garbage elevators, back doors, and that's the way to get into the hall.

Because of his experiences, Perlman is passionate about ensuring that no one should need any special arrangements when visiting a venue. “I insist on making sure that anybody with a disability can go in the front in the hall that can buy tickets in the hall they should not need any special arrangements. The minute you have special arrangements, that means that something is not quite accessible to everybody, no matter whether you can walk or whether you can't.

Barack Obama’s Presidential Inauguration

In January 2009, Perlman joined Yo-Yo Ma, Anthony McGill, & Gabriela Montero to perform at the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. When asked about his memories of the challenges the performance had, one thing stood out above the rest. “It was such an amazing event, it warms my heart, but it was very cold.

“I’ve had several concerts where I played whether it was too warm, and when I played when it was too cold, and neither one, it's just not ideal.

“No, no. I feel that I have to give my best whether I'm playing in an important place, or whether I'm playing in a smaller place, I have to give my best” replied Perlman when asked if performing for a President or Queen changes the pressure behind how he plays.

“I have to make sure that I give the audience the best that I have. I think that's my job. That's why I'm on stage.”

Working with John Williams on the score for Schindler's List

Perlman’s iconic score ‘The Theme from Schindler's List’ has been streamed over 46 million times on Spotify alone. “This is quite an amazing phenomenon that whenever, wherever I play, that's the only thing that people want me to play especially, they always ask for The Theme from Schindler's List” Perlman replied when asked about his collaboration with John Williams on the score for Steven Spielberg’s Academy Award-winning film. “I was speaking about that to John Williams himself, and he said that he couldn't understand it either. We were both marveling, it's a real phenomenon. When you look, when you look at the internet, like, everybody plays that piece.”

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Hear Itzhak Perlman’s interview with Jack Pepper in the Culture Bunker here.

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