Itzhak Perlman (born August 31, 1945) (in Jaffa, now part of Tel Aviv) is an Israeli virtuoso violinist and teacher. He is regarded as one of the greatest violinists of the late 20th century, and is certainly among the most famous. He began to study in Tel Aviv after hearing the violin being played on the radio. During 1987, he joined the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) for their concerts in Warsaw and Budapest, as well as other Eastern bloc countries.