Murray Perahia

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Lore & Background

Murray Perahia is an American pianist and conductor, widely regarded as one of the foremost living pianists. He is particularly celebrated for his interpretations of Bach, Handel, Scarlatti, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schumann. Perahia began studying the piano at age four with a teacher he found very limiting, as she required him to play a single piece until it was perfect. His serious commitment to music began at age fifteen, when his interests suddenly deepened. He studied at Mannes College with Mieczysław Horszowski and also attended the Marlboro Music School and Festival, where he worked with Rudolf Serkin, Alexander Schneider, and Pablo Casals. In 1972, he became the first North American pianist to win the Leeds International Piano Competition. His career was marked by a defining mentorship with Vladimir Horowitz in the 1980s. In the 1990s, a severe hand injury forced him to withdraw from performing for several years; during this time, he found solace in studying Bach’s music, leading to acclaimed recordings of Bach’s keyboard works. He later suffered a recurrence of the hand problem in 2005, causing further cancellations, but he returned to the stage in 2006 and 2007. Perahia has recorded extensively, including Mozart’s 27 piano concertos and Beethoven’s five piano concertos. He is also active as a conductor and principal guest conductor of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, and he has served as president of the Jerusalem Music Center.

Reader's Guide

Murray Perahia’s career is defined by a profound engagement with the keyboard works of Bach, Handel, Scarlatti, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schumann, and his recordings of Mozart’s complete piano concertos—directed from the keyboard—and Beethoven’s five concertos with Bernard Haitink are central to his recorded legacy. His pianism was decisively shaped by close mentorship from Vladimir Horowitz in the elder pianist’s final years. A serious hand injury in the early 1990s forced a multi-year hiatus; during this period he immersed himself in Bach’s music, later producing award-winning recordings of Bach’s keyboard works, including the Goldberg Variations. A recurrence of the hand problem in the mid-2000s again interrupted his concert schedule, but he returned to touring and recording. Beyond solo performance, he has been active in chamber music with the Guarneri and Budapest String Quartets and serves as Principal Guest Conductor of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. His teaching includes faculty positions at Mannes College and masterclasses at Juilliard, Stanford, and the Jerusalem Music Centre, where he became president. Perahia’s significance also stems from his role as the first North American winner of the Leeds International Piano Competition, a milestone that helped elevate the competition’s reputation. His recovery from physical setbacks and his sustained output over five decades underscore a career built on meticulous study and deep musical insight.

Did You Know?

• He studied with Mieczysław Horszowski at Mannes College and later worked with Rudolf Serkin, Alexander Schneider, and Pablo Casals at the Marlboro Music School.