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Pianist Murray Perahia was born in New York in 1947. He began piano lessons at an early age with Jeanette Haien, and later graduated from the Mannes College of Music in conducting and composition while continuing his piano studies with Artur Balsam. He spent summers at Marlboro, Vermont, where he was encouraged by Rudolf Serkin, and collaborated in chamber music with Casals and members of the Budapest Quartet. During this period, he also studied with pianist Mieczslaw Horszowski. In March 1972 he made his debut with the New York Philharmonic and, later that year, won first prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition.

Perahia’s playing has always been recognized as exceptional. He acknowledges that he owes much to the advice, inspiration and friendship of Vladimir Horowitz. In the late 1970s he began to record all the Mozart concertos with the English Chamber Orchestra, conducting them from the piano. His discography also includes recordings of Mendelssohn, Beethoven sonatas, and all the Beethoven concertos with the Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Bernard Haitink. More recently, his recordings of Schumann’s Kreisleriana and piano concerto, and Chopin’s ballades and two concertos have been acclaimed. Murray Perahia was a founding member of Music of Remembrance’s Advisory Board.

Source: The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie, Second Edition