Murray Perahia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Murray Perahia
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Perahia in 2012
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| Born | April 19, 1947 New York City, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Mannes College |
| Occupation | Pianist, conductor |
| Spouse(s) | Ninette Shohet |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | See Awards |
| Musical career | |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Labels | Sony Classical, Deutsche Grammophon |
Murray David Perahia (born April 19, 1947) is a famous American pianist and conductor. Many people think he is one of the greatest living pianists. He was the first North American to win the important Leeds International Piano Competition in 1972.
Perahia is well-known for playing music by composers like Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. He has won many awards, including three Grammy Awards.
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Early life and musical start
Murray Perahia was born in the Bronx, New York City. His family came from Thessaloniki, Greece. His first language was Ladino, also called Judaeo-Spanish.
He started playing the piano at age four. At first, his teacher was very strict. She made him play one piece until it was perfect. When he was 15, he suddenly became very interested in music. He began to practice much more seriously.
At 17, Perahia went to Mannes College. There, he studied piano, conducting, and composing. His main teacher was Mieczysław Horszowski. In the summer, he also learned from other great musicians. These included Rudolf Serkin and Pablo Casals. Serkin later asked Perahia to be his assistant.
In 1965, Perahia won the Young Concert Artists International Auditions. This helped him start his career. In 1972, he won the Leeds Piano Competition. This was a big achievement for him.
A career in music
In 1973, Perahia worked with famous musicians like Benjamin Britten. He also became a co-director of the Aldeburgh Festival from 1981 to 1989. This is a well-known music festival.
In the 1980s, Perahia got to work with Vladimir Horowitz. Horowitz was another legendary pianist. Perahia said this experience greatly influenced his own playing. He became close friends with Horowitz.
For many years, Perahia recorded music for Sony Classical. He recorded all 27 of Mozart's piano concertos. He also recorded Beethoven's five piano concertos.
Overcoming hand injuries
In 1990, Perahia hurt his right thumb. It got infected, and he had to take medicine. In 1992, a bone problem in his hand caused swelling. This meant he had to stop playing for several years. He also needed many operations.
During this difficult time, he studied the music of J.S. Bach. He found comfort in it. After he recovered, he made many award-winning recordings of Bach's music. One famous recording was of the Goldberg Variations.
His hand problem returned in 2005. He had to cancel many concerts. But he slowly returned to performing in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, he toured again with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
Recent performances
Perahia has recorded music by Chopin and Schubert. He is also helping to prepare a new edition of Beethoven's piano sonatas.
Besides playing solo, Perahia also plays chamber music. He performs with groups like the Guarneri Quartet. He is also a conductor for the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.
In 2009, he became the president of the Jerusalem Music Center. He believes music can bring surprise and stability together.
In 2016, Perahia signed with Deutsche Grammophon. His first album with them was Bach's French Suites. In April 2024, after a six-year break due to health, Perahia returned to the stage at Wigmore Hall.
Teaching music
After finishing college, Perahia taught at Mannes College from 1969 to 1979. He has also taught special classes at famous schools like Juilliard School.
Every summer, he teaches young Israeli pianists. These students are usually 12 to 18 years old. He continues to give many masterclasses as president of the Jerusalem Music Centre.
Personal life
Murray Perahia lives in London with his wife, Ninette Shohet. They have two adult sons, Benjamin and Raphael.
Awards
Murray Perahia has received many important awards for his music.
Leeds International Piano Competition
- 1972 First Prize
Grammy Awards
- 1989 for Bartók: Sonata for Two Pianos & Percussion
- 1999 for Bach: English Suites Nos. 1, 3 and 6
- 2003 for Chopin: Études, Opp. 10, 25
Gramophone Awards
- 1984 for Mozart Piano Concertos
- 1986 for Beethoven Piano Concertos
- 1986 for works by Schubert and Mozart
- 1995 for works by Chopin
- 1996 for works by Handel and Scarlatti
- 2001 for Bach's Goldberg Variations
- 2003 for Chopin's Études
- 2011 for piano music by Johannes Brahms
- 2016 for Bach's Six French Suites
Perahia is also an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. This was given to him by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004. In 2012, he was added to the Gramophone Hall of Fame. He also won the Wolf Prize in Arts in 2015.
Discography
Murray Perahia has released many recordings throughout his career. Here are some of his notable albums:
1970s
- Schumann: Davidsbündlertänze (1973)
- Chopin: The Chopin Preludes (1975)
1980s
- Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 26 (1984)
- Schubert: Wanderer Fantasy (1986)
- Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 and 4 (1986)
- Beethoven: The five piano concertos (1988)
1990s
- Schubert: Impromptus (1990)
- Chopin: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 (1990)
- Bach: Harpsichord Concertos (1993)
- Murray Perahia Plays Handel and Scarlatti (1997)
- Bach: English Suites Nos. 1, 3 and 6 (1998)
From 2000
- Bach: Goldberg Variations (2000)
- Chopin: Études (2001)
- Schubert: Late Piano Sonatas (2003)
- Bach: Partitas Nos. 2, 3, 4 (2008)
- Brahms: Handel Variations (2010)
- Bach: The French Suites (2016)
- Beethoven: Piano Sonatas (2018)
Videography
- Murray Perahia in Performance (1992)
- Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 21 and 27 in rehearsal and performance (1992)
- Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 3 (1988)
See also
In Spanish: Murray Perahia para niños
