Paul-Boris Kertsman is an inspiring young conductor and pianist, passionate about connecting with audiences beyond performance.

Currently serving as Assistant Conductor to the Musikkollegium Winterthur, Kertsman collaborates closely with music director Roberto González-Monjas while also supporting prominent guest conductors and soloists. He further developed his profile by engaging in pre-concert lectures, presentations, and interviews. Notably, Kertsman is slated to conduct seven performances of Bernstein's "Trouble in Tahiti" at the Opera House Lucerne in 2025. A winner of the Aspen Prize, he returns as Assistant Conductor of the Aspen Music Festival in 2025.

Highlights of Kertsman’s young career include conducting a performance of Mozart’s “Idomeneo” directed by Michael Sturminger, assisting Marie Jaquot with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, and making his public conducting debut at the Musikverein Vienna with the Radio Symphony Orchestra. He led the Vienna Philharmonic Prokopp Academy in six performances of Mozart’s "Die Entführung aus dem Serail" in 2022, and conducted Beethoven’s third piano concerto on the ORF National Television broadcast.  

With an early dedication to opera, Kertsman has already led performances of innovative small format opera productions including "La Traviata", "La Boheme", and "The Magic Flute". In addition he has collaborated twice with the WDR Rundfunkchor in 2024.

At the age of 18, Kertsman co-founded the Horizon Youth Orchestra. During his conducting studies he served as the music director of the TU Orchestra of the Vienna University of Technology. 

Kertsman is an accomplished pianist, with prizes from international piano and chamber music competitions. While completing his piano studies at the Joseph Haydn Conservatory under the guidance of Dr. Stanislaw Tichonow, he took initial conducting lessons from Sophie Rachlin, and later studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna with Mark Stringer.