Mikhail Shekhtman
Mikhail Yurievich Shekhtman (until April 2019 Antonenko (, born February 25, 1989) is a Russian classical pianist and conductor. Early life and education. Mikhail was born in Moscow in 1989 to a Russian father and Jewish mother, both being biochemists working at the Moscow State University. It was Avram Shechtman, Mikhail's grandfather who deeply loved classical music and, possessing a tenor voice and often singing to young Misha at home as well as playing LP recordings, inspired him to study music. Mikhail has a sister Ekaterina, who is choir conductor and artistic director of the Intrada ensemble. Mikhail 's great-grandmother's sister was Emma Shadkhan (Emma S. Woytinski), wife of Wladimir S. Woytinsky, advisor to president Franklin D. Roosevelt. Antonenko started to play the piano at the age of six and performed her first solo concert in Moscow at the age of seven. Since early childhood, Mikhail has been studying piano in Moscow with Elena Aleksandrova, student of professor Lev Vlasenko at the Moscow Conservatory. Throughout 2004—2008 Antonenko studied at the Moscow State Conservatory Academic Music College with Professor Vera Khoroshina, friend of Emil Gilels and one of the favourite female students of professor Heinrich Neuhaus (teacher  of S. Richter and E. Gilels). He also studied organ with Professor Natalia Gureeva. Subsequently, he continued studies at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory with Professor Pavel Nersessian, graduating in 2013. Mikhail attended masterclasses by Dmitri Bashkirov, Michail Jurowski and Teodor Currentzis. In April 2019, the conductor adopted the family name of his grandfather — Shekhtman. Performances and collaborations. Mikhail Antonenko performs extensively throughout Russia (Great Hall of Moscow State Conservatory, Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, St. Petersburg Grand Philharmonic Hall) as well as around the globe — the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Finland, Australia, Korea. Antonenko has been permanent pianist for  soprano Julia Lezhneva since 2007 when they met as classmates at the Moscow Academic Music College attached to Moscow Conservatory. Together, they performed numerous recitals and concerts — venues including Vienna Konzerthaus, Berlin Konzerthaus, Amsterdam Musikgebouw, Melbourne Recital Centre, Grand Hall of Moscow Conservatory, Grand St. Petersburg Philharmonic Hall, Hamburg Laeiszhalle, Luzern KKL, Lotte Concert Hall, Auditorio Nacional Madrid, as well as festivals, including Gstaad Menuhin Festival, Torroella and Peralada in Spain and Sviatoslav Richter's December Nights Festival in Moscow. Antonenko collaborates with orchestras, including Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Seoul Philharmonic, Russian State Symphony Orchestra Evgeny Svetlanov, Luzern Symphony Orchestra and Spanish  National Orchestra. Important debuts. On December 29, 2015, Antonenko made his conducting debut on stage at the Grand Hall of Moscow Conservatory for Julia Lezhneva's New Year's Concert. On January 1, 2016, Antonenko made a debut with Lucerner Sinfoniorchester at the Luzern KKL performing New Year's Concert under Maestro James Gaffigan. On November 26, 2016, Antonenko performed Adventliche concert with Gewandhausorchester, Julia Lezhneva and Herbert Blomstedt at the Leipzig Gewandhaus. On January 18, 2018, Antonenko made a debut with State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Russian Federation performing a concert at the Great Hall of Moscow. Antonenko  performed Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 15 as soloist and conductor, and also conducted opera arias and overtures by Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti and Meyerbeer featuring soprano Dilyara Idrisova and tenor Alexey Tatarintsev. Recordings. Antonenko made his first professional recording released on Decca conducted Concerto Köln for Julia Lezhneva's new world premiere recording of Graun Opera Arias on Decca (2017) The CD was featured as 'Disc of the Month' of the Bavarian Radio. Antonenko's concert pianist repertoire ranges from Scarlatti and Couperin to Prokofiev and Shostakovich with a focus towards works by J.S. Bach, W. A. Mozart, L.  van Beethoven and Schubert.