It was a really big deal when legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman came to Brigham Young University for the first time in a remarkable career that dates back to a 1958 appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
Perlman’s BYU debut in 2020 — one of the fastest-selling concerts in the school’s history — was “the hottest ticket in Utah for sure,” BYU Philharmonic conductor Kory Katseanes told the Deseret News at the time.
“It’s inspiring to think of all these people who are coming, and more who wanted to come — many, many more who wanted to come,” he continued. “To me that says a lot about the health of the arts in Utah and the love of great classical music in Utah. This is a community that knows.”
Now, Perlman isn’t waiting so long for his return. The Israeli American violinist is coming back to perform the Mendelssohn violin concerto with the BYU Philharmonic as part of the school’s 2022-23 Bravo! season, according to a university news release sent to the Deseret News.
This time it’ll be a two-night engagement on Feb. 15 and 16, giving people in Utah more of a chance to see him in person. According to the release, a two-night engagement is “rare” for Perlman, who has spent the better part of the last decade focused on music education rather than concert performances.
“There’s only a few artists like this in a lifetime that come along that are this great,” Katseanes previously told the Deseret News. “You can play really well and you’d never sound like Perlman. Frankly, it’s a gift from God.”
Bravo! season tickets are currently available for purchase online at tickets.byu.edu, in person at the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center box office, or by phone at 801-422-2981.
Individual tickets for Perlman’s performances go on sale Nov. 22.
Other highlights of the 2022-23 season include Broadway star Jeremy Jordan, an international acrobatics troupe and the theater company Actors from the London Stage. Below is a breakdown of the full schedule. For additional information, visit arts.byu.edu.
- Sept. 2 — Jeremy Jordan.
- Oct. 5 — Dreamers’ Circus.
- Oct. 29 — VOCES8.
- Jan. 26-28 — Actors from the London Stage: “Romeo & Juliet.”
- Feb. 3 — Hub New Music.
- Feb. 3-4 — Gibney Dance Company.
- Feb. 7 — Imani Winds.
- Feb. 15-16 — Itzhak Perlman.
- Feb. 18 — Septura Brass.
- March 14 — Utah Symphony Family Series with Fly Dance Company.
- April 11 — Gravity and Other Myths: A Simple Space.