Martin Pearlman

Martin Pearlman, born May 21, 1945 in Chicago, Illinois, is an American conductor, harpsichordist, composer, and early music specialist. He studied composition, violin, piano, and theory at Cornell University and Yale University. Pearlman founded Boston Baroque (originally Banchetto Musicale) in 1973-74, the first permanent Baroque orchestra in North America. With this ensemble, he conducted numerous premieres of operas, choral works, and instrumental pieces by composers such as Mozart, Bach, Handel, and Monteverdi. Pearlman has led Boston Baroque in annual subscription series, tours across the U.S. and Europe, and recordings for Telarc International, three of which were nominated for Grammy Awards. As a harpsichordist, he won Boston’s Erwin Bodky Competition.