Perahia began studying the piano at age four, with a teacher, he said, who was "very limiting" because she made him play a single piece until it was perfect. He said his musical interests blossomed at age 15 for reasons he can't explain, and he began to practice seriously.[6] At age 17, Perahia attendedMannes College, where he studied keyboard, conducting, and composition with his teacher and mentorMieczysław Horszowski. During the summer, he also attended theMarlboro Music School and Festival, where he studied with musiciansRudolf Serkin,Alexander Schneider, andPablo Casals, among others. He played duets for piano four hands with Serkin, who later made Perahia his assistant at theCurtis Institute inPhiladelphia, a position he held for over a year.
In the 1980s, Perahia was invited to work withVladimir Horowitz, an admirer of his art. Perahia says this had a defining influence on his pianism.[9] He became close to Horowitz, whom he visited during the elder pianist's last four years to play for him.
In 1990, Perahia suffered a cut to his right thumb, which became septic. He took antibiotics for this condition, but they affected his health.[6] In 1992, his career was threatened by a bone abnormality in his hand causing inflammation, requiring several years away from the keyboard and a series of operations. During that time, he says, he found solace through studying the music ofJ.S. Bach. After recovering, he produced a series of award-winning recordings of Bach's keyboard works in the late 1990s, including a notable rendition of theGoldberg Variations.
In early 2005, Perahia's hand problem recurred, prompting him to withdraw from the concert stage on the advice of his doctors. He cancelled several appearances at theBarbican Centre, as well as a ten-city national tour of the United States but returned with recitals in German cities in 2006 and at the Barbican in April 2007.
In the autumn of 2007, he completed a ten-city tour of the United States. Owing to his hand problem, and on the advice of his doctor, Perahia cancelled a February 2008 solo recital at the Barbican Centre[10] and a tour in the United States with theAcademy of St Martin in the Fields (March and April 2008).[11] He returned to the platform in August 2008, touring with theRoyal Concertgebouw Orchestra under the direction ofBernard Haitink, and had an Asian recital tour in October and November.
In January 2009, Murray Perahia was appointed president of theJerusalem Music Center established by violinistIsaac Stern.[5] In an interview withHaaretz newspaper, he said: "Music represents an ideal world where all dissonances resolve, where all modulations — that are journeys — return home, and where surprise and stability coexist."[5]
Upon graduation from Mannes, Perahia was appointed to the faculty and taught there from 1969 to 1979. Perahia was invited to teach at the International Piano Foundation Theo Lieven (known today as theInternational Piano Academy Lake Como) to selected students.[18] He has given masterclasses at such institutions asJuilliard School,Stanford University, andPeabody Institute, among many others. Each year, he holds a summer course at theJerusalem Music Centre to young Israeli pianists, aged 12 to 18.[19] He continues to give frequent masterclasses as president of the JMC. Perahia plans to hold a series of masterclasses in Munich on Beethoven's piano sonatas, hosted by the publisherG. Henle Verlag, with ten young professional pianists.[20]
Perahia is an Honorary Fellow of theRoyal College of Music and Honorary Member of theRoyal Academy of Music (1985).[24] In 2007, he was elected to an Honorary Fellowship of Jesus College, Cambridge.
Bach:Goldberg Variations (2000), Sony Classical[31]
Chopin: Études (2001)
Bach: Keyboard Concertos Nos. 1, 2 and 4 (2001), Sony Classical[32]
Bach: Keyboard Concertos Nos. 3, 5, 6, 7 (2002)
Schubert:Late Piano Sonatas (2003)
Murray Perahia Plays Bach (2003)
Beethoven: String Quartet, Op. 127; Piano Sonata, Op. 101 (2004) (The string quartet is transcribed for full string orchestra and conducted by Murray Perahia)
Bach: Partitas Nos. 2, 3, 4 (2008), Sony Classical[33]
Bach: English Suites Nos. 1-6, BWV 806-811 (2008), Sony Classical[34]
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Op. 14, Nos. 1 and 2, Op. 26, Op. 28 (Pastorale) (2008), Sony Classical[35]
Bach: Partitas Nos. 1, 5, 6 (2009), Sony Classical[36]
Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 17 & 18 (2009), Sony Classical[37]
Brahms:Handel Variations; Two Rhapsodies, Op. 79; Six Piano Pieces, Op. 118; Four Piano Pieces, Op. 119 (2010)
Schumann: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54 - Grieg: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16 (2010), Sony Classical[38]
Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 21, 23 & Rondos (2010), Sony Classical[39]
Bach: French Suite No 5 (2011)
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No 27 Op 90 (2011)
Chopin: Mazurka C-Sharp Minor Op 30 No 4 (2011)
Bach: The French Suites (2016), Deutsche Grammophon
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas op. 106 "Hammerklavier" & Op. 27/2 "Moonlight" (2018), Deutsche Grammophon
^Smith, Steve (2008-04-10)."Unexpected Conductor and Soloist; Expected Results".Then New York Times. Retrieved2011-06-25.Murray Perahia, the ensemble's principal guest conductor, withdrew from its American tour because of illness.
^Bargreen, Melinda (2002-04-05)."A grand pianist: Murray Perahia's mastery and modesty go hand in hand".The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 2013-12-07. Retrieved2012-12-22.Living in London, Perahia — who is married with two sons — is able to take part in one of the world's most spectacular cornucopias of the arts (it is no accident that Alfred Brendel, another émigré, is a longtime London resident).{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
