Dr. Michael Berkovsky
Canadian-Israeli pianist Michael Berkovsky is an internationally acclaimed artist who made his New York debut at the renowned David Geffen Hall and has performed as a soloist across Europe, Asia, North America, and South America. Michael has performed under the batons of celebrated conductors such as Vladimir Feltsman, Stefan Sanderling, Leon Fleisher, and William Noll. His artistry has been featured on 96.3 Classical FM and CBC Radio, and in 2022, he recorded for the RCM Piano Syllabus in Koerner Hall.
As a sought-after pedagogue, Michael serves on the faculty at the Glenn Gould School and the Phil and Eli Taylor Academy, where he maintains a highly competitive studio. His students have garnered top honors at prestigious national and international competitions, including the Chopin, Van Cliburn Junior, Cleveland, Bösendorfer-Yamaha, Canadian Chopin, and Canadian Music Competition. Graduates from his studio have been accepted into elite institutions such as Juilliard, Curtis, Yale, and NEC, among others. He is regularly invited to adjudicate national and international competitions and frequently presents masterclasses and workshops for students and pedagogues.
An avid chamber musician, Michael frequently collaborates with award-winning ensembles and musicians, including the Jasper String Quartet and members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Canadian Opera Company. In his hometown of Toronto, he is frequently featured as a soloist with numerous orchestras. He also regularly appears in piano duo performances alongside his wife, Coral Solomon-Berkovsky.
Born in the former Soviet Union, Michael immigrated to Israel in 1990, where he studied with Nataly Litvinova and was mentored by Alexander Slobodyanik and Ilya Itin. After moving to Toronto in 2001, he earned his BM and MM from Juilliard, studying with Yoheved Kaplinsky and Julian Martin. A scholarship recipient of the Canada Arts Council, America-Israel Cultural Foundation, Tzfonot Tarbut, and the White Nights Foundation, Michael completed his Doctorate at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University under the guidance of Yong Hi Moo.