Lahav Shani (Hebrew: להב שני; born 7 January 1989, Tel Aviv) is an Israeli conductor and pianist.
Shani is the son of Michael Shani, a choral conductor.[1][2] He began piano lessons at age 6 with Hannah Shalgi. He continued his piano studies from Arie Vardi at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in Tel Aviv. He subsequently studied double bass with Teddy Kling, the former principal bassist of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Shani continued further music studies at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" Berlin, where his teachers included Christian Ehwald (orchestral conducting) and Fabio Bidini (piano). Daniel Barenboim has served as a conducting mentor for Shani.
Shani first appeared as a guest pianist with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in 2007. In 2010, Zubin Mehta engaged Shani as pianist and assistant conductor for a tour with the Israel Philharmonic.[2] With the Israel Philharmonic, Shani conducted the Israel Philharmonic's opening season concerts in 2013. He has returned each year subsequently as a guest conductor with the orchestra.
Shani won first prize at the 2013 International Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition. In May 2015, he first guest-conducted the Vienna Symphony. In November 2015, he made his debut with the Vienna Philharmonic, as both conductor and pianist, as an emergency substitute for Franz Welser-Möst.[3] In January 2016, the Vienna Symphony announced the appointment of Shani as its next principal guest conductor, as of the 2017–2018 season.[4]
In June 2016, Shani made his debut with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra (RPhO), as both guest conductor and piano soloist. On the basis of this single appearance, the RPhO musicians unanimously elected Shani as the next chief conductor of the orchestra, in August 2016, the youngest conductor to be named chief conductor of the RPhO to date.[1] His RPhO contract is effective from the 2018–2019 season, for 12 weeks per season. The appointment marks Shani's first appointment to a full-time orchestral post. In March 2020, the RPhO announced the extension of Shani's contract as chief conductor through August 2026.[5]
In January 2018, the Israel Philharmonic announced the appointment of Shani as its next music director, effective with the 2020–2021 season. He is to hold the title of music director designate of the orchestra in the 2019–2020 season.[6]
On 31 December 2021, Shani stood in at short notice for an indisposed Kirill Petrenko as guest conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker for the 2022 New Year’s Eve Concert. Shani had fewer than two hours notice before the first orchestra rehearsal. Fortunately, Shani makes his home in Berlin and happened to be there to receive the urgent phone call.[7]
He continues to give recitals as a solo pianist.[8]
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Preceded by | Principal Conductor, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra 2018–present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
Preceded by Zubin Mehta |
Music Director, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra 2020–present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
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