Itzhak Perlman to Join Colorado Symphony At Carnegie Hall

The Colorado Symphony, under Music Director Peter Oundjian, will perform at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage on Sunday, February 1, 2026 at 2:00 PM, joined by 16-time GRAMMY Award-winning violinist and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom Itzhak Perlman. This marks the Colorado Symphony's first performance at Carnegie Hall in 50 years and represents an onstage reunion for Perlman and Oundjian, whose friendship and working relationship goes back decades.

“To collaborate with Itzhak Perlman is always a profound joy, both musically and personally,” said Peter Oundjian. “He brings an incomparable sense of humanity to his playing where every note is infused with wisdom and soul. As a conductor, there's nothing more rewarding than supporting an artist who connects so effortlessly with audiences. Sharing the stage with him at Carnegie Hall, with this orchestra, will be one of the most meaningful moments of my career.”

Perlman (whose 80th birthday was in August), joins the Colorado Symphony for six works that showcase the breadth of his artistry, including John Williams's haunting theme from Schindler's List, which Perlman performed on the Oscar-winning film's soundtrack; three pieces by violin virtuoso Fritz Kreisler; Dvořák's Romance in F minor; and Carlos Gardel's “Tango (Por Una Cabeza)” from Scent of a Woman, arranged by Williams. To open the concert, the Colorado Symphony gives the New York Premiere of John Adams's Frenzy, a one-movement symphony described by the Daily Telegraph as “a tense nocturnal chase, with a touch of film noir glamour.” Oundjian conducts Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition to bring the program to a fittingly powerful close.

Oundjian and Perlman
The connection between Oundjian and Perlman began when Oundjian was just 12 years old growing up in South London, and his father took him to hear a young violinist who was already being hailed as a sensation: Itzhak Perlman. Oundjian was spellbound from the very first notes, and inspired to dedicate himself to his own violin studies. Seven years later, at 19, Oundjian had the opportunity to play for Perlman ahead of his audition for Juilliard. What started as a virtuoso and a starstruck kid turned into a mentor-student relationship, which has blossomed over the years into a deep musical friendship.