PRIMARY WAVE MUSIC PARTNERS WITH THE INCOMPARABLE
ITZHAK PERLMAN
THE PARTNERSHIP INCLUDES THE AWARD WINNER’S RECORDING INTERESTS FOR ALL RECORDINGS PERFORMED BY MR. PERLMAN, ARTIST ROYALTIES, AS WELL AS NAME AND LIKENESS
“Itzhak Perlman is a superstar in classical music.”
– New York Times
“Few classical music artists have a rock star status,
but Itzhak Perlman is indisputably one of them.”
– Desert Sun
“Itzhak Perlman has had a five-star career, made five-star recordings and remains indelibly a
five-star presence on the concert platform.”
– The Guardian
New York, NY (December 4, 2024) – Primary Wave Music, the leading independent publisher of iconic and legendary music in the world, has announced today their exciting partnership with the incomparable “reigning virtuoso of the violin”, Itzhak Perlman. Born in 1945, Mr. Perlman gained national attention after an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1958. Mr. Perlman studied at Juilliard and in 1964 won the prestigious Leventritt Competition which ultimately helped lead him to his critically acclaimed career where fans around the world would establish him as a cultural icon.
His musical career has taken him across the globe performing for audiences that include fans, both old and new, as well as dignitaries from around the world including Queen Elizabeth II and President Barack Obama who, in 2015, awarded Mr. Perlman the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Mr. Perlman’s accolades don’t stop there. In 2000 he was awarded the National Medal of Arts by then President Clinton and, in 1986 he received a Medal of Liberty by President Reagan. Mr. Perlman has been recognized by the Recording Academy with an astounding 47 Grammy nominations, winning 16 times. He has also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, has amassed 4 Emmy Awards, a Genesis Prize and, in 2023, was recognized by the Kennedy Center.
In addition to sold out performances across the globe, Mr. Perlman has also entranced audiences at the conductor’s podium with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the symphony orchestras of Dallas, Houston, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Montreal and Toronto, as well as at the Ravinia and Tanglewood festivals. Mr. Perlman also made regular conducting appearances at the St. Louis Symphony, was Principal Guest Conductor of the Detroit Symphony, and Artistic Partner of the Houston Symphony. These credits don’t even include his work overseas where he conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Israel Philharmonic, to name just a few.
Terms of this thrilling new relationship will see Primary Wave partner with Mr. Perlman on his recording interests for all recordings performed by him, including his artist royalties, as well as name and likeness rights. This relationship will also provide Mr. Perlman access to Primary Wave’s marketing team and publishing infrastructure, working closely on new marketing, branding, digital, and synch opportunities, as well as film & television projects.
Recordings included in the deal encompass his incredible fifty-plus decades career including Vivaldi: Four Seasons – Spring, Vivaldi: Four Seasons – Winter, and Vivaldi: Four Seasons – Summer. He performed the violin solos across the soundtrack in collaboration with film composer John Williams who would go on to win an Academy Award for Best Original Score. Additional recordings included are Mr. Perlman’s “Black Orpheus: Manha De Carnaval,” “24 Caprices, Op. 1,” “Concerto For Violin and Orchestra I,” “Violin Concerto, Op. 35” and others.
Of the partnership, Mr. Perlman said “I am excited to work with Primary Wave to see what plans they develop to take care of my recordings and to see what new opportunities they bring to the table. We have been in discussions about this relationship for some time, and I am looking forward to working with them.”
Lexi Todd, Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs at Primary Wave added, “Itzhak Perlman is hands-down the greatest violinist of our time. It is a true honor to have had the pleasure to work with Mr. Perlman and his team on this partnership, and we are all looking forward to working together on new opportunities to spread his undeniable musicianship and his incredible story.”
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 2024/25 season, Mr. Perlman celebrates the 30th anniversary of his iconic PBS special In the Fiddler’s House program with performances across the country alongside today’s klezmer stars. He is joined by Emanuel Ax, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and the Juilliard String Quartet in Itzhak Perlman and Friends appearing in select venues. He continues touring An Evening with Itzhak Perlman and plays recitals across North America with pianist Rohan De Silva in their 25th anniversary season. Over the past thirty years, Mr. Perlman has been devoted to music education, mentoring gifted young string players alongside his wife Toby in the Perlman Music Program. With close to 800 alumni, PMP is shaping the future landscape of classical music worldwide. Mr. Perlman has an exclusive series of classes with Masterclass.com, the premier online education company that enables access to the world’s most brilliant minds, as the company’s first classical-music presenter.