Some say Shelter Island’s beauty tugs at the heart strings. But at the Perlman Music Program (73 Shore Road, Shelter Island, 212-877-50450) it’s the sound of the strings that add to the island’s beauty.
The the brainchild of virtuoso violinist couple Toby and Itzhak Perlman, Perlman Music Program launched in 1994 in East Hampton to foster the talent of hard-working young string players from around the world. In the year 2000, its sister summer outpost was established on the Island, offering an intensive, seven-week, conservatory-style program each summer.
Born in Tel Aviv, Itzhak Perlman has played the violin since he was 3 years old and eventually studied at Juilliard. Toby Perlman also attended Juilliard, but the two didn’t meet until 1963, when they both studied violin under Ivan Galamian.
It became Toby’s dream to create a musical haven for young string players, where students could learn from world-class musicians — including, of course, the Perlmans themselves — and also perform for the community.
“What sets us apart is that the goal of the program is to train the next generation of terrific classical music players in a non-competitive, nurturing environment,” says Anna Kaplan, the program’s executive director. “It’s incredibly competitive to get in — it’s very small, and we only have 36 to 40 kids per program — but once they’re in, they get to come back until they turn 19. So it’s competitive to get in but once they’re in we eliminate any competitive aspect.”
The non-competitive nature of the program lets the kids hone their skills and blossom while on Shelter Island. All students get to perform in the orchestra, as well as the chorus.
“[The chorus] is a musical activity that’s not their main thing,” Kaplan explains. “It’s not something they try to compete at. They collaborate.” The chorus, as well as the camaraderie of the group, “really builds a community because they come back year after year, get to know each other and we build a family that’s small enough and supportive in every way.”
And the community doesn’t end after high school for the talented young musicians — Perlman Music Program has a large network of alumni that come back year after year. In addition to the seven-week program, there’s a chamber music workshop earlier in the summer for college-age students. Kaplan notes that there are about 750 Perlman alumni, many of whom are now concert masters, teachers at leading universities and professional classical musicians.
A large component of the program includes performances for the public.
“We call these concerts ‘Works in Progress,’ ” Kaplan says. “They’re not meant to be ready-made concerts, but the level [of talent and skill] is so incredible that they’re terrific concerts.”
Most of the Works in Progress concerts are free of charge and held at the Perlman Music Program campus across from Crescent Beach. For August, four performances remain for the summer-long music program: Aug. 2, 3, 9 and 10. The program also hosts events throughout the year for the community, from alumni shows to special performances by the Perlmans, who remain deeply involved.
Itzhak conducts the orchestra, sings with the chorus, coaches the ensembles, while Toby is, as Kaplan puts it, “our artistic and spiritual leader. She is completely present. She determines the curriculum and program.”
Being on Shelter Island is part of Perlman Music Program’s allure.
“Everybody falls in love with Shelter Island as soon as they see it,” Kaplan says. “It could not be a better setting. The community loves us back. They’ve seen these kids grow up with us, and there’s something really special about seeing a child’s development and feel like you’ve been a part of that.”
For more about the Perlman Music Program, visit perlmanmusicprogram.org.
