Biography

Mischa Santora joined Boston Ballet as Music Director in 2018. Born to Hungarian parents in the Netherlands, Santora moved to Switzerland at the age of three where he began to study violin with his father, a former member of the Lucerne Symphony. After he received a diploma in violin and teaching from the Academy for School and Church Music in Lucerne, Santora continued his violin studies with Professor Thomas Brandis, former concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin. Santora subsequently undertook conducting studies with Otto-Werner Mueller at the Curtis Institute of Music.

Mr. Santora guest conducted many of the leading orchestras around the world, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, National Symphony (DC), Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, Basel Symphony, Hungarian National Philharmonic, Israel Chamber Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic, Taiwan National Philharmonic, West Australian Symphony, and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, among many others.

Former positions include music director of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Hungarian International Opera Festival, New York Youth Symphony, and associate conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra. He continues to present interdisciplinary, culturally inclusive programs as the artistic director of the MacPhail Spotlight Concert Series in Minneapolis and the Minnesota Bach Ensemble. Mr. Santora recently gave his debut with Boston University Chamber Orchestra.

Photo credit: Leslie Plesser