Coming from a Jewish family, the young Russian-Israeli conductor and pianist 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 graduated with distinction at Moscow State Conservatory as pianist and organist and studied conducting under Michail Jurowski and at the 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 Lucern and Gstaad. Misha collaborates with soloists, including Anna Netrebko, Ambrogio Maestri, Ilya Gringolts, Vladislav Sulimsky, Yusif Eyvazov, LiLa, Daniil Trifonov, Vasilisa Berzhanksaya, Elene Gvritishvili, Alexander Malofeev and Valentine Michaud.
In 2020 Shekhtman founded festivalorchestra, bringing together musicians from Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Germany, South Korea and more. Recordings include 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.
In September 2025, Misha Shekhtman won 1st prize at the Ferenz Fricsay International Conducting Competition. Upcoming engagements include performances with Bournemouth Symphony, Baden-Baden Philharmonic, Danish National Philharmonic, Bern Symphony/Bern Opera, Sofia Philharmonic, Nürnberg Symphony and Israel Philharmonic.
Season 2025/2026
press
“The way Misha approached the score of my piece Con moto was extraordinary, not only on a technical, but also on a musical level. Mr. Shekhtman's enthusiasm and commitment for music is boundless, and he has a very special ability to transfer this to the orchestra” Bernd Richard Deutsch, composer
“Mr Shekhtman showed an absolutely outstanding performance conducting my beloved orchestra. His insight into the unknown dephts of Gustav Mahler’s music, his absolutely crystal clear way to present his ideas and thoughts on how to perform it, his warm and heartfelt yet respectful way to interact with this giant orchestral oranism and the human beings forming it impressed me deeply” Heiko Triebener
“It was worth the entire concert to hear Anna Netrebko sing in perfect unison with the talented pianist, Misha Shekhtman. The beauty of his playing gave chills to us all. They feed off each other beautifully and the dynamics showcase the incredible musicianship of the performers” V. Kennedy, LA weekly
