Michael Berkovsky

Canadian-Israeli pianist, Michael Berkovsky, made his New York debut at Avery Fisher Hall and has toured as a soloist in Ireland, Costa Rica, Japan, Italy, Israel, Canada, and the United States. He has won numerous international piano competition awards and has performed under the baton of Vladimir Feltsman, Stefan Sanderling, Leon Fleisher, William Noll, among others. His recordings were featured on 96.3 Classical FM and CBC Radio. He has most recently recorded for the RCM piano syllabus due to be released in 2022. 

Michael maintains a competitive studio, in which numerous of his students have been awarded top prizes in national and international piano competitions such as Van Cliburn Junior, Cleveland International, Bösendorfer-Yamaha, Canadian Chopin, Canadian Music Competition, among others. Graduates from his studio went on to study at top schools such as the Juilliard School, Yale University, New England Conservatory, among others. 

Michael frequently collaborates with numerous chamber groups and award-winning musicians, including Jasper string quartet and musicians from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Toronto Opera Company. Michael is involved in the cultural life of his community in Toronto and often performs with local groups like the Kindred Spirit Orchestra, York Symphony Orchestra and many others. In addition he is also actively engaged in piano duo recitals with his wife, Coral Berkovsky-Solomon.

Michael serves as artistic advisor for the Canadian Music Competition and is regularly invited to adjudicate competitions around the country, as well as for masterclasses and teacher workshops. Most recently, he has served as president of the Canadian chapter of the George Enescu International Music Festival. He was a guest artist at numerous international festivals, including Arts Naples and Music Niagara Festival. 

Born in the former Soviet Union, Michael immigrated to Israel in 1990. He has studied with Nataly Litvinova and was mentored by Alexander Slobodyanik and Ilya Itin. In 2001, his family moved to Toronto, Canada. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from The Juilliard School where he studied with Yoheved Kaplinsky and Julian Martin. He was a recipient of the America Israel Cultural Foundation Scholarships from 1994-2001, and with the recommendation of Maestro Valery Gergiev, was awarded White Nights Foundation Scholarships while studying at Juilliard. In 2011, he completed his Doctoral degree at the Peabody Conservatory of the John Hopkins University while under the tutelage of Professor Yong Hi Moon.