Lahav Shani Extends Contract at the Israel Philharmonic

Shani will remain Music Director until at least 2032

Israeli conductor Lahav Shani has renewed his contract at the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO), and will remain there until the conclusion of the 2031/32 season. He first stepped into the role in 2020, at which point he succeeded Zubin Mehta.

Shani has been closely associated with the orchestra for a number of years, making his debut with the group when he was just sixteen. Two years later, in 2007, he played the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto with Zubin Mehta conducting, and thereafter he joined the orchestra as a double bassist. Shani first conducted the IPO in 2013 and has appeared with the orchestra either as conductor or pianist every year since then.

Originally from Tel Aviv, Shani was born in 1989 and studied the piano with Arie Vardi at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music. Later, he studied at Berlin's Academy of Music "Hanns Eisler", where Christian Ehwald was his conducting teacher and Daniel Barenboim acted as a mentor.

As a pianist, Shani has appeared as a player-director with the Vienna Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, Filarmonica della Scala, Staatskapelle Berlin, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

In February 2023 Shani was appointed as Chief Conductor of the Münchner Philharmoniker, and he has also been Chief Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic since 2016 — at which point he became the youngest person to hold the post.

"I am happy and proud to continue my musical journey with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra," Shani said. "From my very first day, it has been an honor to work beside outstanding musicians with such deep desire for artistic excellence."