Misha Katz was born at Rostov on Don, in Russia. He started studying the cello in 1959 and in 1971 went to the Tchaikovsky Сonservatory in Moscow to study with Mstislav Rоstropovich, his master and teacher. In 1972 he studied conducting with his father, Leonid Katz, the outstanding Russian conductor and skilled and popular artist. In 1976 Misha Katz won the Grand Prix of the All the Russias Competition, a fitting reward for his outstanding virtuosity and talent. He obtained his doctorate at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow in 1979. In 1982 he studied conducting with the famous composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein.
After his arrival in France in 1985 he formed the “Shostakovich Trio”. The artist and his trio were invited to record by Sony Classical in 1994. He has been invited to take part in major international festivals, such as Monte Carlo, Bodensee, Palma de Majorca, Bregenz, Cervantino in Mexico City, Jerusalem, Santander, Harrogate, Sion, Cannes, Flanders, Luxembourg, Sansepolcro, Moravia and has been invited to play in the most prestigious concert halls in the world, such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Alte Oper in Frankfurt, the Salle Pleyel in Paris, Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Conservatory Concert Hall, the Manoel Theatre in Malta, the Wigmore Hall in London, Ateneul Român in Bucharest, the Bolshoi Theater, Auditorium in Monte – Carlo, Herkulessal in Munich. In 1996 Misha Katz is appointed Permanent Conductor of the Belorussian National Philharmonic Orchestra in Minsk. In 1998 he is Principal Guest Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukrania.
Since 1998 he is the Permanent Conductor of the chamber orchestra “The Soloists from Russia”.
In 2002 he is appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Mexico City.
Since 1997 his career as a conductor has developed on a large scale , he has been invited to conduct orchestras all over the world: in England, Belgium, Russia, France, the Czech Republic, Spain, Switzerland, Romania, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Slovakia, Georgia, Israel, Monaco, Ukraine, Germany, Mexico, Moldavia, Italy.
In 2003 he is appointed Artistic Director of the “Solomon Mikhoels” International Festival in France, under the auspices of the President Jacques Chirac.
In 2005 he is appointed Artistic Director of “The International Peace Festival”, under the auspices of the President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Since 2008 he has been the principal guest conductor of the Slovak orchestra Sinfonietta.
Among the prestigious awards of Misha Katz - the Golden menorah International organization B’nai B’rith (2005), French Gold Medal of Merit and Devotion (2008), the UNESCO Medal "Five continents" (2013), Gold Medal of the World League of Public Welfare (2013), Medal named after Solomon Mikhoels (2014).
In 2013, Misha Katz co-founded the project "Culture without borders" under the auspices of UNESCO.
Since 2016 he has been the Artistic Director of the international music festival in Cannes.
Leonid Bernstein said about the conductor's art of his student: "Such a deep understanding of music can only be explained by the divine gift.
5–14 October 2018 Astana, Kazakhstan