For 74 years, George Perlman rented a studio in Chicago’s Fine Arts Building, where he taught 10 students a day the fine techniques of playing the violin.
Many of those students went on to illustrious careers, such as Joseph Golan, principal of the second violin section of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Chicago musician Tony Kawalkowski.
While Mr. Perlman was able to teach his students the difficult craft of playing the violin, students said he reached out to them in more personal ways as well.
“He was another father for me, as much as he watched out for me, cared for me,” Kawalkowski said. “He would call me at home, make sure I was OK.”
Mr. Perlman, 103, of Wilmette, died Sunday at Rush-North Shore Hospital in Skokie of heart failure.
A longtime musician, he started his career as a performer. But he soon moved into teaching and writing music, including compositions for his students to perform, said his wife, Carol Jean Welch Perlman.
One of his pieces, “Indian Summer,” is widely played in Chicago.
“Music soothes the soul,” Mr. Perlman said in a profile published last year in the Tribune. “It lifts us, if only for a moment, out of the mundane circumstances and vexing problems of our everyday lives.”
Mr. Perlman also earned a law degree and wrote articles about music history.
But he excelled when it came to teaching students the fundamentals of playing the violin. For instance, he devised a series of exercises to teach students the basics, such as how to hold the bow or where to place their fingers and bow to draw out a beautiful tone, Kawalkowski said.
“He always said, `Imagine yourself as a painter, and your bow as your paintbrush. That’s your way of expression,'” Kawalkowski said.
Mr. Perlman’s dedication to his students was so intense that he and his wife spent nearly every Sunday at a concert or recital for a student and rarely went on vacation, said Carol Perlman.
“He would be angry with people if they didn’t do their best and work hard,” said Carol Perlman. “He believed in hard work and putting violin first.”
In fact, he continued to teach until April, when he was hospitalized after a fall.
During his career, Mr. Perlman met other legends, such as performer Jack Benny. Albert Einstein also reportedly played some of Mr. Perlman’s music and corresponded with him.
As for his long life, Carol Perlman said her husband always had good habits.
“He was a man of tremendous energy,” she said. “He didn’t really sleep, either. He stayed up and read books on music.”
Joseph Golan said: “I thought that he might outlive us all. And probably, with his great spirit, will do just that.”
In addition to his wife, he is also survived by a daughter, Pamela Perlman.
A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Weinstein Family Services, Wilmette Chapel, 111 Skokie Blvd., Wilmette.