Even as a student at the Hanns Eisler Music Academy in Berlin, Lahav Shani amazed audiences with his quick wits and his ability as a pianist and conductor.

Since he won the International Gustav Mahler Competition in Bamberg in 2013, his talent as a conductor has been undisputed.

Jan Brachmann

Editor in the Feuilleton.

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Watching him, one notices how much he has learned from his mentor Daniel Barenboim in his gestures that are as energetic as they are economical.

In the 2020/21 season, the son of a choir conductor, who was born in Tel Aviv in 1989, became the new head of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, succeeding Zubin Mehta.

He's now a crowd pleaser in Israel.

From 2026 he will be the new chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic.

This was announced on Tuesday by Munich's Mayor Dieter Reiter, cultural advisor Anton Biebl, director Paul Müller and Alexandra Gruber, spokeswoman for the orchestra board.

Shani succeeds Valery Gergiev, who was fired because of his closeness to Putin, for an initial period of five years.

Despite his youth, he is experienced enough for this position.