Michael Zukernik
He has stood at many internationally significant podiums. In Germany, he has worked with established orchestras such as the Staatskapelle Weimar, the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra, the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, among many others.
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Maestro Zukernik has also conducted the Rome Symphony Orchestra, the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, the Manukau City Symphony Orchestra in New Zealand, and the Macao Orchestra in China.
In the last two seasons, Michael Zukernik has collaborated especially with pianist Andrei Gavrilov, captivating audiences in numerous renowned concert halls – including the Kodály Center in Hungary, the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Gewandhaus Leipzig, the Tonhalle Zürich, the Culture and Congress Centre Lucerne (KKL), and the Victoria Hall in Geneva. Further highlights included concerts at the Berlin Philharmonie, the Beethovenhalle in Bonn, and the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg.
With the Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra Berlin, which he founded in 2002, he has appeared in prestigious venues such as the Konzerthaus and the Philharmonie in Berlin, the Gewandhaus Leipzig, and the Tonhalle Zürich. Later he brought the ensemble to international stages: an invitation to South Korea led to a successful tour of twelve concerts, followed by several tours of China with performances at the Shanghai Opera House, the Beijing Cultural Center, and the Forbidden City Concert Hall.
Among his most recent projects is the Film Music Fest, where a live orchestra accompanies major film productions – an unforgettable experience featuring masterpieces such as John Williams’ Indiana Jones Theme, Malcolm Arnold’s Bridge on the River Kwai, Ernest Gold’s Exodus, Hans Zimmer’s The Da Vinci Code, and many more.
Always in search of new interpretations of classical music, in 2006 Zukernik presented the program Classic Rock together with the Manukau City Symphony Orchestra (MCSO), one of New Zealand’s most active and renowned orchestras. This program combined popular classics from opera and concert halls with hits from the 1950s to the 1980s – from Bizet’s Carmen Overture and Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance to Twist and Shout and All You Need Is Love by the Beatles, Another Day in Paradise by Phil Collins, and We Will Rock You by Queen.
Today, Michael Zukernik lives with his wife and two children in Zurich, Switzerland. He speaks German, Russian, English, French, and Spanish.
