In recognition of her superb musical artistry, Israeli violinist Perry Tal was awarded the 2009 Outstanding Musician Distinction Award from Maestro Zubin Mehta on behalf of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Buchmann Mehta School of Music. In 2010, Perry joined the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra (WEDO) under the baton of Maestro Daniel Barenboim and has performed all over the United States, Europe, the Middle East, China, Korea, and South America. The collaboration with the Divan Orchestra yielded additional chamber music concerts in California and Qatar. As part of the WEDO she recorded Beethoven’s complete nine symphonies for the DECCA Company in the summer of 2011, and performed with the orchestra in such halls as the Carnegie Hall (NY), the Royal Albert Hall (London), Teatro Alla Scala (Milano), Salle Pleyel (Paris), Musikverein (Vienna), Teatro Colon (Buenos Aires) and many more. Additionally, Perry was a substitute violinist at the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) from 2005-2010 and joined the IPO’s musical tours worldwide. As a member of the Buchman Mehta Symphony Orchestra, she performed as Concert Master under the baton of Maestro Zubin Mehta, Maestro Kurt Mazur and Izhak Perlman and performed in such venues as the United Nations in NYC as well as at the Tonhalle, Zurich. Perry is a featured violinist in the Discovery Ensemble since 2010, as well as in the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra since 2012.

As a soloist and avid chamber musician, Perry appeared in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Avery Fischer Hall, Jordan Hall, California’s Mondavi Center among others. She performed as a soloist with the Thelma Yellin Symphony Orchestra and the Givataim Chamber Orchestra in Germany, Austria, France, Belgium and Switzerland. Perry has collaborated and performed with artists such as Kim Kashkashian, Lucy Chapman, Roger Tapping and more. She was a member of the Young Musicians Unit of the Jerusalem Music Center and was also featured many times on the Israel National Radio. Perry regularly performs at music festivals worldwide, including the BBC Festival (London), the Lucerne Festival (Switzerland), The Salzburg Festival (Austria), the Colmar International Festival (France), Keshet Eilon Mastercourse (Israel), International Goppisberger Music Festival (Switzerland) and Kefar Blum International Festival of Chamber Music (Israel). In 2007, Perry attended the International Orchestra Institute Attergau (IOIA), a project of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra under the leadership of Maestro Eschenbach. She participated in Masterclasses with artists such as Ida Haendel, Tabea Zimmeremann, Donald Weilerstein, Miriam Fried, Zakhar Bron, Anni Schnarch, Josef Rissin, Antia Whitehass, Ilan Gronich and Petru Monteano. Her musicianship has been recognized with many awards, among them the 2003 Turjeman Competition, the “outstanding musician distinction” from the IDF and scholarships from the America Israel Cultural Foundation both in violin and in chamber music from 2001 until her departure to the US in 2010.

Deeply committed to Education, Perry serves as a faculty member in both the Rivers School Conservatory and the Concord Conservatory of Music. In addition she holds a private studio in Brooklyn, NY and Boston, MA. Her students frequently perform around Boston.

Perry completed her Master’s degree with honors under Ms. Lucy Chapman at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. She holds her Bachelor’s degree with high honors from the Buchman-Mehta School of Music at the Tel Aviv University, where she studied with Ms. Irina Svetlova. 

First drop of thought

“Music is not separated from the world; it can help us forget and understand ourselves simultaneously.”  - Daniel Barenboim

In 2010, I traveled to Caracas, Venezuela with the West Eastern Divan Orchestra – an ensemble comprised of Israeli and Arab musicians – to play a series of side-by-side concerts with the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra. The ensemble was excited to experience the El Sistema movement first hand and connect with young musicians who share a similar commitment to music as an agent for social change. We arrived early in the morning and were quickly shuttled to the community center where the orchestra rehearses. The agenda for the morning was to play for each other – orchestra to orchestra. We had just finished three weeks of intense rehearsal, preparing repertoire for the South American tour, and engaging in political and personal dialogue. We both played for one another, and the room was simultaneously silent and full of sound and joy. It was as if a mirror was placed before us. For the first time we could feel what our audiences experience – a raw, expressive, and intentional performance, shared by young artists from across the harshest divides. Tears flowed, hugs were shared, and even though we could not communicate verbally, members of both groups felt understood, seen and deeply connected. This experience brought to life a feeling that I have carried with me since childhood – that music has the power to transcend difference, to soften hatred, and build connections that we are so starved for in a fast-paced, individualistic world.

Growing up in Israel, I was exposed very early on to war and hatred. At the age of 7 I began studying violin, and quickly understood that music has the power to soften people. I realized that music could also soften the conflict by creating bridges across borders and between human hearts. Since that time, I have pursued musical training and experiences that can help me bring that vision into the world. During my compulsory army service in Israel, I created a program through the “Outstanding Musician Unit” for chamber ensembles to travel to hospitals throughout the country to play for Jewish and Arab Israeli children, bringing them together at a vulnerable time in their lives.

After my army service, I relocated to Boston in order to pursue my career as a professional violinist. While at NEC, I was an extremely active chamber musician, performing regularly in Jordan Hall with diverse ensembles. I also pursued performing and teaching opportunities outside of school, working through Discovery Ensemble’s educational department to lead workshops in public schools throughout Greater Boston. Since graduating, teaching artistry has become a more central part of my career. I am on faculty at the Rivers School Conservatory and the Concord Conservatory of Music, where I teach and coach kids of all ages and backgrounds. 

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As a teacher, Perry is committed to an interactive style of teaching and strives to cultivate an environment in which students can express themselves freely. She focuses on developing high technical skills as well as guides her students in learning mindful and patient practice; both will enable the students to create music with joy and passion. She believes that the process of music making develops patience, communication, curiosity, and listening skills that will serve the students in their lives outside the music field. 

Perry served as faculty in the Rivers School Conservatory and the Concord Conservatory of Music. She currently holds a private studio in Brooklyn, NY.

If you are interested in taking private lessons with Perry, please click here to submit a form.