Murray Perahia KBE (b. April 19, 1947) is an American concert pianist. He is also a respected conductor. His recordings are characterized by a consistent quality of sound, technique and interpretation and a careful attention to dynamic and stylistic details. Perahia was born in New York City of Sephardic Jewish origin, and began playing the piano at four but he started practising seriously only at the age of fifteen.[1] At seventeen, he attended Mannes College, where he studied keyboard, conducting, and composition with his teacher and mentor Mieczys?aw Horszowski. During the summer, he also attended Marlboro, where he studied with Rudolf Serkin, and Pablo Casals, amongst others.