Question 1

True or false: Perlman composed the soundtrack for the film Schindler's List.

Accepted Answer

False. John Williams composed the score; Perlman performed the iconic violin solos. He later recorded the full soundtrack for the film.

Question 2

True or false: Perlman taught at the Juilliard School for over 40 years.

Accepted Answer

True. He joined Juilliard's faculty in 1970 and taught violin for more than four decades, mentoring many leading soloists.

Question 3

True or false: Perlman learned to play the violin after being paralyzed by polio at age 4.

Accepted Answer

True. He contracted polio at 4, losing use of his legs, but began violin lessons soon after, using crutches or a wheelchair for life.

Question 4

True or false: He was a child prodigy who performed on The Ed Sullivan Show at age 10.

Accepted Answer

True. Perlman appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1958 at age 13, playing a virtuosic piece, cementing his reputation as a prodigy.

Question 5

True or false: He won a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1978.

Accepted Answer

False. Perlman never won Best New Artist; his Grammys are for classical instrumental solos and chamber music. He won his first Grammy in 1978 for Best Classical Instrumental Solo.

Question 6

True or false: Perlman can play the violin using only his left hand, due to right-hand polio weakness.

Accepted Answer

True. He adapted his bowing technique with his right hand, but his left-hand finger dexterity is unaffected; he famously plays with incredible precision despite his disability.

Question 7

True or false: He is a licensed pilot and flies his own small plane to concerts.

Accepted Answer

True. Perlman holds a pilot's license and has flown his own plane to performances, often navigating with his crutches beside him in the cockpit.

Question 8

True or false: Perlman performed at the 1970 White House state dinner for Queen Elizabeth II.

Accepted Answer

False. He actually performed at the White House in 1970 for a state dinner honoring the Prime Minister of Israel, not Queen Elizabeth II.

Itzhak Perlman Trivia Questions