Celebrate Itzhak Perlman’s 80th birthday season and discover more about the legendary “man behind the music” at An Evening with Itzhak Perlman (OR An Afternoon withItzhak Perlman).This multimedia program, curated by Tony-award winning director Dan Sullivan and produced by Elliott Forrest, interweaves storytelling by Perlman alongside personal photos, clips pulled from the Grammy-nominated Itzhak documentary, and music-making with Perlman’s longtime pianist and friend, Rohan DeSilva.

Itzhak Perlman, violin

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 is treasured by audiences throughout the world who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also to his irrepressible joy for making music.

Having performed with every major orchestra and at concert halls around the globe, Mr. Perlman was granted a Presidential Medal of Freedom – the Nation’s highest civilian honor – by President Obama in 2015, a National Medal of Arts by President Clinton in 2000, and a Medal of Liberty by President Reagan in 1986. Mr. Perlman has been honored with 16 GRAMMY® Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Kennedy Center Honor, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Genesis Prize.

In the 2025/26 season, Mr. Perlman celebrates his 80th birthday season with a variety of programs. He performs his iconic PBS special In the Fiddler’s House program alongside today’s klezmer stars. His orchestral engagements include Cinema Serenade programs with the Cleveland Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra and Colorado Springs Philharmonic as well as a play/conduct program with the San Francisco Symphony. He also makes a special appearance with the Colorado Symphony at Carnegie Hall. He continues touring An Evening with Itzhak Perlman and plays recitals across the U.S. with longtime collaborator Rohan De Silva.

Rohan De Silva, Pianist

Rohan De Silva has partnered with Itzhak Perlman in worldwide recitals and collaborated with many of today’s foremost violinists. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, London’s Barbican and Wigmore Hall, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, and the White House, appearing for President Barack Obama in 2012 and at state occasions under President George W. Bush and Queen Elizabeth II. A native of Sri Lanka, he was invited in 2015 by his country’s Prime Minister to perform for U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on his historic visit.

In the 2025/26 season, Mr. De Silva tours with Perlman across North America and joins him in An Evening with Itzhak Perlman, a multimedia program of performance and narrative. He has taught at the Juilliard School since 1991, is on faculty at the Heifetz International Music Institute, and previously served on the Perlman Music Program faculty. He has also given masterclasses at the University of Texas at Austin, Indiana University, and the University of Florida.

Mr. De Silva studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, earning numerous awards before being appointed a Fellow in 2015. With a scholarship from Sri Lanka’s President’s Fund, he entered Juilliard, studying with Martin Canin, Felix Galimir, and Dorothy DeLay. His honors include Best Accompanist at the Ninth International Tchaikovsky Competition and the Samuel Sanders Collaborative Artist Award, presented at Carnegie Hall by Itzhak Perlman. He has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, CBS/Sony Classical, RCA Victor, Chandos, and Pentatone.