Gal Nyska, Principal Cellist of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra since 2016, has appeared on many stages across the world as an orchestral musician, chamber musician and soloist. He made his solo debut with the Juilliard orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall in New York under the baton of Dennis Russel Davies and has since appeared with numerous orchestras in the USA and Europe. As a chamber musician, he won several important chamber music competitions, among them the Coleman and Fischoff competitions, and with his piano trio he was awarded a prize by Harvard University’s musical association. He also won the cello prize and audience prize at the America-Israel Cultural Foundation’s Aviv Competitions. Gal Nyska began his formal cello studies with Ludmila Stark in Ness Ziona, continued them in North Carolina with Leonid Zilper and completed them at the Juilliard School in New york with Joel Krosnick, later serving as Mr. Krosnick’s teaching assistant. He took part in master classes with renowned cellists Yo-Yo Ma, Steven Isserlis, Lynn Harrell, Ralph Kirshbaum, Bernard Greenhouse, David Geringas, Frans Helmerson and Janos Starker. Following a two-year tenure as Associate Principal Cellist of the Neubrandenburg Philharmonie in Germany, he joined the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in 2015. This is his first appearance as soloist with the IPO.