High hopes Itzhak Perlman’s Modesto encore will bring back the musical magic

The last time classical maestro Itzhak Perlman played Gallo Center for the Arts, the venue – and its patrons – welcomed him decked out in their finest.

The violin virtuoso played a sold-out show at the downtown Modesto performing arts center in January 2014. Now, three years later almost to the day, Perlman returns for another sold-out performance Sunday, Jan. 15, at the Gallo Center.

Gallo Center Chief Executive Officer Lynn Dickerson expects this show to bring back the magic, and then some.

“It was truly a magical evening for the Gallo Center. There are very few stars of his caliber in the classical music world, so bringing him back was an easy decision,” she said.

The classical violinist and conductor has played for presidents and royalty, Muppets and Mets fans. His first nationally televised appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” came at age 13. Now 71, he is considered a classical music ambassador the world over. In 2015 President Barack Obama bestowed him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States.

When Perlman played the Gallo Center in 2014, the show sold out seven months in advance and had several hundred on a waiting list. Dickerson said the concert garnered high praise from patrons, many who were taken by Perlman’s charismatic banter from the stage.

Dickerson said bringing in an artist of Perlman’s renown has helped elevate the center’s reputation in the region. She tends to shy away from booking many classical acts in deference to its resident company the Modesto Symphony Orchestra. But when she does, she looks for blockbusters.

“If we can present one really strong classical act per season, that’s a win for us,” she said. “Adding an artist like Mr. Perlman enhances our image and broadens our appeal to a wider audience.”

The musician contracted polio as a child and uses a scooter for mobility and while performing. Throughout his career he has played sitting down. But his stature with audiences in the classical music world has never been in question. The Israeli-born artist has won 15 Grammys and four Emmy Awards. He played at Obama’s 2009 inauguration and for Queen Elizabeth II. He was also the man behind the moving violin solo in the Oscar-winning picture “Schindler’s List.”

Like his last Modesto performance, he will be accompanied by pianist Rohan de Silva and his famed 1714 Soil Stradivarius violin. Part of what makes a Perlman concert unique – particularly in the world of classical music – is his repartee with the audience. The man has jokes, and shares them joyfully with the crowd.

Spreading his love for classical music, and cultivating the next generation, has been a longtime mission for the musician. He and wife Toby Perlman, also a professional violinist, founded the Perlman Music Foundation in 1993 to train exceptional young string players.

And he isn’t afraid to try different things, and unusual instruments. A few years ago a short clip of Perlman playing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” on his Vitamix blender went viral on Facebook. As he told NPR recently, he is always looking for something new.

“A lot of people ask me, ‘What is your goal now that you have done everything?’ And I always say that my goal is to not be bored by what I do,” he said. “The only way that I cannot be bored by what I do is if I play something and it’s all new to me.”

This story was originally published January 6, 2017 at 10:45 AM with the headline "High hopes Itzhak Perlman’s Modesto encore will bring back the musical magic."