Igal Kesselman is an acclaimed pianist and music educator, celebrated for his dynamic performances and leadership at New York’s Kaufman Music Center.

Praised for his “kaleidoscopic” playing by The New York Times, pianist Igal Kesselman is one of today’s most forward-thinking performers and music educators. After making his American debut with the Washington Chamber Symphony at the Kennedy Center, he has performed throughout the country in such venues as Alice Tully Hall, Symphony Space, and Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center in New York City; the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C.; and the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. 

Highlights from recent seasons include a performance of Mozart’s Double Concerto with pianist Orli Shaham and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA, solo recitals for subscription series at Tel Aviv University and Arizona State University, and performances with Rob Kapilow on the What Makes It Great? series at Merkin Hall. He also conducted master classes at Oberlin Conservatory, the Colburn School in Los Angeles, Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University, Boston University Tanglewood Institute in Lenox, MA, Jerusalem Academy of Music, and Arizona State University at Tempe.

Dr. Kesselman was a top prizewinner at the “Citta de Marsala” International Piano Competition in Italy and is a past recipient of ten America-Israel Cultural Foundation Scholarships. He received his B.M. degree, cum laude, from S. Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, and his M.M. and DMA degrees from the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore. His teachers have included Yoheved Kaplinsky, Emanuel Krasovsky, and Irina Zaritskaya. Currently, he serves as the Director of Lucy Moses School and Music Director of Special Music School (M. 859) at Kaufman Music Center in Manhattan, and curates the popular Tuesday Matinees series at Kaufman’s Merkin Hall. Dr. Kesselman serves frequently as a judge in international competitions and auditions, including the Concert Artist Guild, New Orleans International Piano Competition, Astral Artists, Virginia Wering International Piano Competition, and Boston University. The Founder and Artistic Director of the Kaufman Music Center International Youth Piano Competition, he is also a member of the piano faculty at Lucy Moses School and Special Music School at Kaufman Music Center. 

Dr. Kesselman is a Steinway Artist.