2018 Arkady Fomin Scholarship Fund recipient
Michael was born in Israel in 2003 and has been playing the violin from age 6. He studies with his father Prof. Hagai Shaham and Dr. Guy Figer at the Israel Music Conservatory in Tel Aviv.
In 2011 Michael won the Young Promising Musician Award at the Raanana Music Center competition . In 2013, he won First Prize at the National Violin Competition and in 2016 and 2017 he won First Prize at the Israel Conservatory Competition. Michael received the America- Israel Culture Foundation Scholarships with Exceptional Distinction in 2013, 2015 and 2017.
Since he was 9 years old, Michael has played with several orchestras including the Israel Symphony Orchestra, Israel Chamber Orchestra, and the Raanana Youth Symphony. In June 2105 Michael was invited to perform at the prestigious ‘Stars of Tomorrow – Young International Talents Concerts’ in Austria and at the ‘Crans-Montana Classics’ Festival in Switzerland by invitation of Maestro Shlomo Mintz. He has also performed at the Closing Gala Concert of the 2017 International Summer Academy Festival of the Vienna Music Academy. In 2016 he performed in the 20th Anniversary Gala Concert of the HEIFETZ INSTITUTE.
In the season 2017-18 Michael played as soloist with the Beer Sheva Sinfonietta, Netania Kibutzim Orchestra in the in the orchestra’s ‘Rising Star’ series, and with Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra at the 70th day independence gala concert. Next season he will play as soloist with the Haifa Symphony Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony and the Tel Aviv Soloists.
Since 2010, Michael participates and performs at the Keshet Eilon International Mastercourse as well as in the Chamber-Music and Young Gifted Violinists Programs of the Jerusalem Music Centre. In 2018 he was named a recipient of the Arkady Fomin Scholarship Fund. In 2015 Michael attended the Summer Strings Academy at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, USA. In 2016 he participated in the Perlman Music Program in Tel Aviv and in 2017 he was one of 5 young musicians chosen by Maestro Itzhak Perlman to join the International Perlman Program in the Hamptons. In 2016 Michael was the youngest participant in the Heifetz Institute International Course.
Michael participated in masterclasses with Miriam Fried, Ivri Gitlis, Itzhak Perlman, Murray Perahia, Grigory Kalinovsky, Kolja Blacher, Ilya Kaler, Elmar Oliveira, Benjamin Schmidt, Daniel Heifetz, Menachem Pressler, Julian Rachlin, Vadim Gluzman and Itzhak Rashkovsky.