Lahav Shani
Conductor, Piano
Chief Conductor, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
Music Director Designate, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

In the 18/19 season, Lahav Shani took over from Yannick Nézet-Séguin as Chief Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. From the 20/21 season he is the Music Director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, taking over from Zubin Mehta who held the appointment for 50 years. From the 17/18 season until summer 20 Shani was also Principal Guest Conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

In June 2016 Shani debuted with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra as conductor and solo pianist. No less than two months later, his appointment as Chief Conductor was announced and he became the youngest conductor to hold the position in the orchestra’s history. During his first season in the role, Shani led the orchestra in concerts across Europe, China and Taiwan. The Rotterdam Philharmonic with Shani have an exclusive recording contract with Warner Classics.

Shani’s close relationship with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra began well over 10 years ago. He debuted with the orchestra aged sixteen, and in 2007 performed Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto under the baton of Zubin Mehta aged eighteen. He then went on to play regularly with the orchestra as a double bassist. In 2013, after winning the Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition in Bamberg, the orchestra invited him to step in to conduct their season-opening concerts. Since then, he has returned to the orchestra every year as both a conductor and pianist, to lead the final concert of their 80th Anniversary celebrations in December 2016.

Shani works regularly with the Staatskapelle Berlin, both in opera productions at the Staatsoper Berlin and for symphonic concerts. Recent and upcoming guest conductor highlights include engagements with Vienna Philharmonic, Berliner Philharmoniker, Gewandhaus Orchester, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, London Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris and Philharmonia Orchestra.

Born in Tel Aviv in 1989, Shani began his piano studies aged six with Hannah Shalgi, before continuing with Prof. Arie Vardi at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music. He went on to study conducting under Prof. Christian Ehwald and piano with Prof. Fabio Bidini at the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler, Berlin and was mentored by Daniel Barenboim during his time there.

As a pianist in the 2019/20 Shani performed as a soloist with Valery Gergiev and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and with Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin. He has play-directed piano concerti with many orchestras including the Vienna Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Shani also has considerable experience performing chamber music and in recital and is a regular performer at the Verbier Festival, and has also appeared at the Aix-en-Provence Easter and Jerusalem Chamber Music Festivals.

Yefim Bronfman
Conductor

Yefim Bronfman was born in 1958 in Tashkent (Uzbekistan). In 1973 he emigrated with his family to Israel, where he continued his piano studies with Arie Vardi at the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv. Soon thereafter, he moved to the United States and completed his training with Rudolf Firkušný, Leon Fleisher, and Rudolf Serkin. His debut with the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta in 1978 launched an international career that has brought him together with the leading orchestras and conductors. In the 2017-18 season, for example, he went on a tour of the United States with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and Zubin Mehta; concertized with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Mariss Jansons in Munich, London, and Vienna; and appeared with the Cleveland and Philadelphia Orchestras, the Los Angeles and New York Philharmonics, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. The Vienna Philharmonic invited him to perform four concerts in April 2018 to jointly celebrate his 60th birthday; and at the end of the season he traveled with the London Symphony Orchestra throughout Thailand and China. From the outset of his career, Bronfman has also devoted himself intensively to chamber music, for example in partnering with Isaac Stern, Pinchas Zukerman, and Yo-Yo Ma and later with Magdalena Kožená and Emmanuel Pahud. Bronfman, who appeared as LUCERNE FESTIVAL’s “artiste étoile” in 2009, is moreover a committed performer of contemporary works and has given the world premieres of piano concertos by Esa-Pekka Salonen (2007) and Magnus Lindberg (2012) and of Jörg Widmann’s Trauermarsch for piano and orchestra (2014). Bronfman, who has been an American citizen since 1989 and who received the Avery Fisher Prize in 1991, commands an extensive discography; his recording of the three Bartók concertos won a Grammy Award.

LUCERNE FESTIVAL (IMF) debut on 25 August 1999 in Bartók’s Second Piano Concerto, with the Israel Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta.

Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra was officially established in 1925 and its first artistic director and principal conductor was Ivane Paliashvili. In 1933 the Orchestra was awarded with the State status and its principal conductor became Evgeny Mikeladze – legendary conductor, who was a victim of 1937 repressions. In 1971 GPO was awarded with the status of honored Orchestra and in 1994 – it was named after Evgeny Mikeladze.
At different times the Orchestra was directed by the conductors: Aleksandre Gvelesiani, Grigol Kiladze, Aleksandr Gauk, Shalva Azmaiparashvili, Odissey Dimitriadi, Jemal Gokieli, Zakaria Khurodze, Jansugh Kakhidze, David Del Pino Klinge, Vakhtang Matchavariani; also, music directors: composers Andria Balanchivadze and Alexi Matchavariani.
In 2005 GPO, together with other State status collectives, was united in newly established Georgia National Music Center and 25 years old composer Nikoloz Rachveli was invited from Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts as an Artistic Director. From 2007 he has combined the position of principal conductor of the Orchestra.
The Orchestra has implemented lots of successful performances. Among them are concert tours abroad in various worldwide venues, such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Athens and Frankfurt Concert Halls, Paris Les Invalides, Pierre Cardin Center, UNESCO Hall & Salle Pleyel, St. Petersburg Dmitri Schostakovich Philharmonie, Moscow Conservatory Grand Hall, Berlin Konzerthaus, Brussels Centre for Fine Arts BOZAR, Strasbourg Convention Centre, Tallinn NORDEA Concert Hall, Hamburg ElbPhilharmonie, Frankfurt Alte Oper, etc.
The Orchestra’s repertoire includes all the most important pieces of the Georgian symphony music and numerous masterpieces of the world’s symphony and opera music. The Orchestra is the first performer practically of all important National symphony music pieces, as well as performs Georgian premieres by numerous foreign composers.
In 2013, due to the reform at the National Music Center of Georgia, the young talented musicians of the new generation, successfully performed in the various Orchestras of Georgia and abroad, joined the GPO; the outstanding Georgian Musicians: Giya Kancheli, Alexander Toradze, Paata Burchuladze, Josef Bardanashvili and Shalva Mosidze were elected as an Artistic Council of the National Music Center of Georgia and during the same year, Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra and Maestro Nikoloz Rachveli became the initiators of the historic reform in Georgia, the result of which was a right given to the musicians to choose their creative director (before this position was appointed by the Georgian Minister of Culture). From December 2013, Maestro Nikoloz Rachveli is the first elected Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra.
During 94 years of its existence, the Orchestra has performed with the following outstanding musician-performers: Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitri Shostakovich, Sviatoslav Richter, Yakov Flier, Emil Gilels, Ani Fisher, Van Cliburn, David Oistrach, Mstislav Rostropovich, Kurt Mazur, Kent Nagano, Yuri Temirkanov, Valeri Gergiev, Yuri Bashmet, Boris Berezovski, Alexander Toradze, Liana Isakadze, Marine Iashvili, Paata Burchuladze, Eliso Virsaladze, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Kim Kashkashian, Nino Ananiashvili, Lisa Batiashvili, Khatia Buniatishvili, Dudana Mazmanishvili, Valerian Shiukashvili, David Geringas, Nicolas Altstaedt, Natalia Gutman, Gidon Kremer, Michele Crider, Katia Ricciarelli, Giuseppe Giacomini, Badri Maisuradze, Lado Ataneli, Makvala Kasrashvili, Anita Rachvelishvili, Nino Machaidze, Tamar Iveri, Giorgi Gagnidze, Iano Tamar, Maxim Risanov, Giorgi Zagareli, Andres Mustonen, Ariel Zuckermann, Sergei Nakariakov, Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi, Chris Botti, STING, BJORK, Nani Bregvadze, Nato Metonidze, Nino Katamadze and many others.