Featuring Itzhak Perlman, violin; Emanuel Ax, piano; Jean Yves Thibaudet, piano; Juilliard String Quartet
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A reigning virtuoso of the violin returns after his sold-out program for us in 2023. This time, Itzhak Perlman is bringing a dream team of collaborators and friends: internationally celebrated pianists Emanuel Ax and Jean-Yves Thibaudet and the Juilliard String Quartet.
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 NationalMedal 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.
Born to Polish parents in what is today Lviv, Ukraine, Emanuel Ax moved to Winnipeg, Canada, with his family when he was a young boy. Mr. Ax made his New York debut in the Young Concert Artists Series, and in 1974 won the first Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition in Tel Aviv. In 1975, he won the Michaels Award of Young Concert Artists, followed by the Avery Fisher Prize. Emanuel Ax was recently named the 2026 Musical America Artist of the Year. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and holds honorary doctorates of music from Skidmore College, New England Conservatory of Music, Yale University, and Columbia University.
Through elegant musicality and an insightful approach to both contemporary and established repertoire, Jean-Yves Thibaudet has earned a reputation as one of the world’s finest pianists. He is especially known for his diverse interests beyond the classical world; in addition to his many forays into jazz and opera — including works which he transcribed himself for the piano — Thibaudet has forged profound friendships around the globe, leading to fruitful collaborations in film, fashion, and visual art. He is a devoted educator and the first-ever Artist-in-Residence at the Colburn School, which awards several scholarships in his name.
With unparalleled artistry and enduring vigor, the Juilliard String Quartet – Areta Zhulla, Leonard Fu, Molly Carr, and Astrid Schween – continues to inspire audiences around the world. Founded in 1946 and hailed by The Boston Globe as “the most important American quartet in history,” the Quartet draws on a deep and vital engagement to the classics while embracing the mission of championing new works, a vibrant combination of the familiar and the daring. Each performance by the Juilliard String Quartet is a unique experience, bringing together the four members’ profound understanding, total commitment, and unceasing curiosity in sharing the wonders of the string quartet literature.
Read MoreTheir program features two works from the 18th century: Sonata for Two Violins in E minor, Op. 3, no. 5, by Jean-Marie Leclair and Piano Quartet in E-flat major, K.493 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
A 19th-century masterpiece fills the second half of the program: Concerto in D major, Op. 21, by Ernest Chausson.
What do these compositions have in common? Each is among the most difficult of its kind — now performed in Akron by some of the world’s best.
This event is currently only available through a package. Packages start at just $65 and offer significant savings! — View Package Options
