Coming from a Jewish family of Russian, Belarussian and Ukranian origin, the young Israeli conductor Misha Shekhtman is one of the most promising musicians of his generation. His mother’s grandfather Moise Shekhtman was a cantor at a synagogue in Zhytomyr.

Misha studied piano at Moscow State Conservatory and studied conducting with Michail Jurowski and Berlin UDK.

As pianist, Misha performed under Herbert Blomstedt, Santtu-Matias Rouvali and James Gaffigan. He collaborates with orchestras including Gewandhaus Leipzig, Lucern Symphony, Seattle Symphony, National Orchestra of Spain, Seoul Philharmonic, Concerto Köln, St-Petersburg Philharmonic and festivals, including Salzburg, Verbier and Lucern. Misha collaborates with soloists, including Anna Netrebko, Daniil Trifonov, Alexander Malofeev, and Aida Garifullina.

In 2020 Shekhtman founded festivalorchestra, bringing together musicians from Israel,Ukraine, Russia, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, South Korea and more. They recorded a premiere of Bernd Richard Deutsch, Mahler’s Symphony 7, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, Beethoven’s Symphony 7, Strawinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps to critical acclaim.

This is his first appearance with the IPO