Austrian-Brazilian-American conductor and pianist Paul-Boris Kertsman is acclaimed for his incisive musical instincts and commitment to collaborative performance. He is equally at home on the operatic and symphonic podium.

Kertsman, a recipient of the 2026 CAG Louis and Susan Meisel Prize, currently serves as Head of Music and Kapellmeister at the Luzerner Theater, where he conducts titles such as Die Zauberflöte, L’elisir d’amore, The Flying Dutchman, and more. In the 26/27 season, Paul-Boris will make Debuts at the Davos Festival and with the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie. He will also return for guest appearances with the Musikkollegium Winterthur and the Symphonieorchester Vorarlberg. 

A winner of the Aspen Prize, Kertsman served as Assistant Conductor of the 2025 Aspen Music Festival, where he worked alongside internationally renowned artists. His festival engagements included conducting chamber and orchestral works featuring soloists Gil Shaham and Pekka Kuusisto in programs presenting music by Avner Dorman and Nico Muhly, underscoring his versatility across contemporary music. Previously, he served as Assistant Conductor of the Musikkollegium Winterthur, working closely with Music Director Roberto González-Monjas across subscription, educational, and community concerts.

Other highlights include his debuts with the Tonkünstler Orchester and the Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna. He also led the Vienna Philharmonic Prokopp Academy in six performances across Austria of Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail and has collaborated with the WDR Rundfunkchor in Cologne.

Born in New York City and raised between Chicago and Vienna, Kertsman began his musical training as a pianist at the Haydn Conservatory in Eisenstadt, and later completed conducting studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.