As a nineteen year-old violin student at Juilliard, Toby Perlman began to dream of a musical institution dedicated to training the next generation of classical music leaders. She dreamed of a program devoted to a supportive and nurturing learning environment, one capable of adapting to the needs of each individual student, and one that counteracts the immense pressures often placed on students of extraordinary talent.
Toby’s dream became a reality in 1993 when what was to become The Perlman Music Program held its first two-week summer session at a rented camp site at Boys’ Harbor in East Hampton, New York. This ramshackle campus lacked many of the qualities needed to run a first class summer music school, including adequate practice and performance space. It quickly became clear that a more conducive campus was needed to fulfill the Program’s ambitious goals.
Thanks to a few very generous benefactors, The Perlman Music Program took this major step forward in 2000 when they purchased an idyllic 28-acre campus on the shore of Shelter Island, New York. This former resort provided large buildings for dorms and a dining hall, bungalows for faculty housing, tiny cabins perfect for practice rooms, and space to erect a large performance stage and tent.
Since its first two-week session in 1993, the Program has grown into a sophisticated series of programs that include the now six-week Summer Music School @ PMP, the two and a half-week Chamber Music Workshop @ PMP, the two and a half-week Sarasota Winter Residency @ PMP, and the NYC Yearlong Mentorship Program @ PMP. Over the years, these programs have been enhanced by the occasional international tour to places such as Israel and China.
Today, The Perlman Music Program has established itself as a leader in its field. At the heart of the Program’s guiding philosophy is a belief in personalized and intimate learning experiences for students.
Boasting a remarkable student to faculty ratio of better than 2:1, the faculty, led by Itzhak Perlman, includes some of the most highly respected and sought-after pedagogues in the world. This helps create an environment that provides the valuable resources necessary to nurture remarkable talent, while at the same time promoting both leadership and real life social skills.
Throughout its existence, The Perlman Music Program has found that these attributes achieve tangible results for its students. PMP takes great pride in noting that virtually all of its young graduates continue their studies at leading conservatories and distinguished colleges – and most of them cite PMP as one of the most formative elements in their musical and personal development.
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