He played Carnegie Hall at 13 and counts violinist Itzhak Perlman among his musical mentors.

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DeLay was a Perkins-like figure who trained an amazing roster of late-twentieth-century virtuosos, including Itzhak Perlman, Nigel Kennedy, Midori, and Sarah Chang.

NEWYORKER: Personal Best

So I called Itzhak Perlman to find out what he thought.

NEWYORKER: Personal Best

Itzhak Perlman, for instance, arrived at Juilliard, in 1959, at the age of thirteen, and studied there for eight years, working with both DeLay and Ivan Galamian, another revered instructor.

NEWYORKER: Personal Best

Contrast that to four years ago, when the inaugural ceremony included Aretha Franklin but also classical musicians such as cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman and others, and the Hollywood types were largely saved for the evening's balls.

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