Itzhak Perlman to Conduct Juilliard Orchestra at Harris Theater for Music and Dance

On January 6, 2016, the Harris Theater for Music and Dance will present Grammy and Emmy award-winner Itzhak Perlman conducting the Juilliard Orchestra in their first Chicago appearance in 10 years. Treasured by audiences throughout the world for his remarkable artistry, Mr. Perlman, who contracted polio at age four, is also one of the most important and committed advocates for accessibility, and a source of inspiration for young musicians with and without disabilities.

As part of this highly-anticipated engagement, Mr. Perlman will participate in an intimate conversation with Marca Bristo, President and CEO of Access Living, about access, the arts, and shifting attitudes toward disability throughout his extraordinary life and career.

This conversation will be free and open to the public and will serve as a platform to discuss the importance of accessibility, here in Chicago and around the world. Access Living and the Harris Theater are thrilled to partner around this community outreach initiative as a part of ADA25, a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Following this meaningful talk will be a performance at 7:30pm at the Harris Theater.

"Access Living is a powerful voice for people in the Chicago area who live with disabilities," said Itzhak Perlman. "I am honored to work with this organization and the Harris Theater to continue to increase the visibility of the disability rights movement."

Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzhak Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. This year Mr. Perlman has been honored by President Barack Obama with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, for his incredible dedication to the arts and for being an important voice on behalf of persons with disabilities. He is being honored alongside other major contributors to the arts including Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, Stephen Sondheim and James Taylor. Having performed with every major orchestra and at venerable concert halls around the globe, Itzhak Perlman was granted a Kennedy Center Honor in 2003 by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in celebration of his distinguished achievements and contributions to the cultural and educational life of the United States. He has performed multiple times at the White House, most recently in 2012 at the invitation of President Barack Obama and Mrs. Obama, for Israeli President and Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree Shimon Peres; and at a State Dinner in 2007, hosted by President George W. Bush and Mrs. Bush, for Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh. In 2009, Mr. Perlman was honored to take part in the Inauguration of President Obama, premiering a piece written for the occasion by John Williams alongside cellist Yo-Yo Ma, clarinetist Anthony McGill and pianist Gabriela Montero, for an audience of nearly 40 million television viewers in the United States and millions more throughout the world.

"Mr. Perlman's leadership and example have opened new doors for inclusion in the arts and physical access to the arts," said Marca Bristo, President & CEO of Access Living. "We are thrilled to partner with Harris Theater for this wonderful opportunity to hear Mr. Perlman talk about his commitment to inclusion and to see him perform on stage."

A pioneer of Chicago's disability rights movement and a former patient of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Marca Bristo helped launch Access Living, one of the country's first ten centers for independent living. Since 1980, Access Living has provided peer services and advocacy to over 40,000 people with disabilities, and it has won systemic improvements in housing public schools, public transportation, public access and long-term care.

Single tickets for Itzhak Perlman with Juilliard Orchestra now available at www.HarrisTheaterChicago.org or by calling the Harris Theater Box Office at 312.334.7777.

To post a comment, you must register and login.