When Lahav Shani strikes the first notes on the piano, he becomes one with his instrument. The fact that he usually makes another, much larger sound simultaneously. Namely, the orchestra happens quite naturally for him. He also conducts demanding works such as Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto from the piano. “It’s not much harder than just playing. Above all, it’s great fun. As a soloist, you are much more exposed; you have a different control over the sound. As a conductor, it’s all about trusting the orchestra,” he says, describing his performances as conductor and pianist. Shani is a phenomenon, a musician who knows music from three perspectives. From the conductor’s soloist podium and his orchestral experience as a double bass player.

Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1989 as the son of a choir conductor, he grew up with music. Mozart, Beethoven and Prokofiev are his favourite childhood sounds. At the age of 15, there was no doubt that he wanted to be a pianist. This only changes when he turns 18 and plays double bass in the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He felt more and more that he wanted to decide for himself how something should sound. Then, he meets Zubin Mehta, who performs with him as a soloist on the piano and as a double bass player in the orchestra. Mehta recognized his potential, attested to his leadership qualities and encouraged him: “You have to try it.”

Shani begins studying conducting in Berlin and attends Daniel Barenboim’s rehearsals. “We talked a lot about music. He was my soloist at my first concert in Rotterdam, and now we are friends,” he says, describing his relationship with his mentor.

Today, Lahav Shani is associated with two orchestras as chief conductor: since 2018 with the Rotterdam Philharmonic and since 2020 with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, which he took over from Zubin Mehta and describes as his family: “I only have this feeling there because I grew up with many of the younger generations in the orchestra.” Shani will take up the position of Chief Conductor of the Munich Philharmonic in 2026. That is when his contract in the Netherlands ends, which he will not extend because conducting three orchestras simultaneously is too much for him.

Anyone who has seen him in concert will understand that Shani, only in his mid-thirties, is one of the most sought-after maestri. Something is electrifying about this musician. He lives the music. Whether he plays the piano as a soloist or conducting doesn’t matter. He knows how to create memorable moments. “Maybe it’s because I don’t want to bore myself or the orchestra,” he jokes. He explains it pragmatically: for a conductor, it is essential that he understands the technical problems of the orchestra. You can talk to the wind players about phrasing, for example. But with the strings, you have to feel how something will be played. “It’s not enough to just say, try it like this. If you’ve played the double bass, you understand it much better. But the most important thing is the chemistry,” he continues. “It’s like when two people meet for the first time. There has to be something there. You can’t describe it,” he says, but you can experience it during his guest appearances with the Rotterdam Philharmonic and the Munich Philharmonic at the Musikverein.