April 2008 - Janelle's Blog

Reigning Virtuoso of the Violin

Classical violinist Itzhak Perlman, world renowned as the reigning virtuoso of the violin, can bring you to tears with his perfected technique and joy of music as he plays. His honors and awards are so numerous, that I can only tell you about a few of them.

He has appeared with every major orchestra in the world.

Perlman has received four Emmy Awards.

Two presidents have bestowed him with special honors. He received the "Medal of Liberty" in 1986 by President Reagan and the "National Medal of Arts" by President Clinton in 2000.

In 1994 millions saw him when he hosted the U.S. broadcast of the Three Tenors, Encore! Live from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

One of his most memorable achievements was his collaboration with film score composer John Williams in the Academy Award winning movie Schindler's List, in which he performed the violin solos.

How Far Does Influence Go?

Charlton Heston, one of America's finest actors, died April 5^th at age 84. The power of his influence has affected me since I was a child. He was known for starring in several epics and won the 1959 best actor Oscar for his infamous chariot-race in Ben-Hur.

His most memorable movie for me was Cecil B. DeMille's, The Ten Commandments. Watching Heston portray Moses, who received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai, had a remarkable visual impact on my religious upbringing. His portrayal of leading the Israelites through the Red Sea has long reminded me of how God can do the impossible.

Heston's publicist, Michael Levine, who represented Heston for 20 years said, "The passing of Heston represented the end of an iconic era for cinema." Heston's chiseled face and sonorous voice represented a presence of power that was magnificent to witness. Levine said, "If Hollywood had a Mt. Rushmore, Heston's face would be on it."