Itzhak Perlman Quotes

One of the most important elements in teaching, conducting, and performing, all three, is listening.

Sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.

Never miss an opportunity to teach; when you teach others, you teach yourself.

One must always practice slowly. If you learn something slowly, you forget it slowly.

Another thing that I don't like to do is show too much how it goes. I do it once in a blue moon. Sometimes there are lessons when I don't pick up a violin at all.

The most important thing to do is really listen.

I always consider myself lucky that I can actually cry listening to some music.

Ask many of us who are disabled what we would like in life and you would be surprised how few would say, 'Not to be disabled.' We accept our limitations.

Every musical phrase has a purpose. It's like talking. If you talk with a particular purpose, people listen to you, but if you just recite, it's not as meaningful.

When you play a concerto with a small orchestra, you don't feel it is as important as Carnegie Hall. You try to work out all the little problems. Once that's all done, trust comes in.

For every child prodigy that you know about, at least 50 potential ones have burned out before you even heard about them.

I can actually see the sound in my head. I can actually see it... But each sound is different so this one has that sparkle, there is a sparkle to the sound.

Beethoven concertos ... Tchaicovsky concertos ... with a lot of these wonderful masterpieces there's always something wonderful to find ... there's always something new to find.

Everybody has a different kind of talent and a different timetable as to when they develop.

You decide to be a musician, you have to put in the time.

In difficult times, people just like to hear music. They like to be moved by what they hear. And music speaks different languages.

Same thing with harmonies. If you hear something that harmonically is interesting, express it. So that's what I'm saying about talking the music rather than just playing through.

I'm just a one-instrument player. I have been known to play a blender, but I basically play - just play the violin.

The Violin of my dreams. If you wanna play a pianissimo that is almost inaudible and yet it carries through a hall that seats 3,000 people, there's your Strad.

Any gifted child can potentially get in real trouble because of the way they are handled.

One of the great challenges is to know when things are not right.

There are people who are uncanny, who are finished products at a young age. I wasn't, thank God.

Child prodigy is a curse because you've got all those terrible possibilities.

Competition can be the most nerve-racking experience. Some people just thrive on it.

I don't feel that the conductor has real power. The orchestra has the power, and every member of it knows instantaneously if you're just beating time.

Just imagine yourself in a wheelchair. Go through the building. If there's a place you can't go in, it's not accessible.

Sometimes you get from the mouth of kids wonderful things.

For people who are really talented, what you don't say becomes extremely important. You have to judge what to say and what to leave alone so you can let the talent develop.

I always say separate your abilities from your disabilities. You know, if I could play the violin, I don't have to play it standing up. I can play it sitting down and so on.

Don't play the way it goes. Play the way it is. And the way it is every time you play it, it's slightly different. Look for something. So that's the challenge not to be bored.

A sponge has that much absorbent capability and after a while you can pour water over it and nothing stays.

..I heard Ori Kam and was deeply impressed with his achievements as a violist. His technical and interpretive skills are truly unique. I see a great future for him.

There is nothing like a fine Italian sound.

I couldn't only do one thing--I don't want the personal hell of oneness.

If you play something well, I don't care what it is. I mean, I don't play an electric [violin] - I tried. It's actually interesting.

Not many people like it when they get criticism. Of course, if you have someone who does tell you and you do have a rapport, that's great. But don't rely on it. You have to rely on yourself.

I look at raising funds for The Perlman Music Program as a challenge and as a way to provide opportunities for people who care about the future of classical music.

This machine, the wheelchair, I can go all over the place, but you need a place without stairs to get in.

I listen to kids play a lot.

So many things can drive you mad as a child, not only music.

I do three things. I do teaching, I do conducting and I do playing. And each one of those sort of helps the other.

I feel that you always pay when you are a child.

A lot of people like to think that polio was a inspiration in what I do. I think that music has to do with what kind of passion do you have.

Believe me, I've had interviews where the person says, "So when did you start and why? What about your parents?" I say to them, "Please, have you heard of the word Google?"

When you talk about a million bucks, if you think about it very carefully, it's not that much money, if you start to divide it. You have to figure out a philosophy as to whom you want to give it to.

Life is not as easy as it could be for a person with a disability.

A Century of Wisdom is universal and will enrich readers for generations to come.

That makes classical music work, the ability to improvise.

I love to work with young kids.

I am playing the violin, that's all I know, nothing else, no education, no nothing. You just practice every day.