Russian-born conductor, violinist, and pianist Michelle Bushkova (b. 2004, Moscow) is currently pursuing her master’s degree in conducting at the Juilliard School with David Robertson, where she is a recipient of the Bruno Walter Memorial Scholarship. Beginning in 2026-2027 season she will serve as Music Director of the Weill Cornell Music and Medicine orchestra. Previously, during the 2024–2025 academic year, Michelle served as Assistant Conductor of the Cleveland Institute of Music Opera Theater and as Undergraduate Assistant Conductor of the Case Western Reserve University Symphony Orchestra. She has participated in the International Jorma Panula Masterclass in Kecskemét (Hungary) and the Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy at the Tokyo Spring Festival (Japan), and her mentors have included Carlos Kalmar, Anthony Parnther, and Victor Yampolsky. 

As a violin soloist, she has appeared with the “Moscow Virtuosi” and “New Russia” Symphony Orchestras, as well as the philharmonic orchestras of Saratov, Yaroslavl, Ankara, and Istanbul, and the chamber orchestras of Minsk and Portland. She has performed in international festivals such as Keshet Eilon (Israel), Musica Mundi (Belgium), NYMF in Gstaad (Switzerland), Moscow Autumn, Stay-in-May (Florida), and Siletz Bay (Oregon). Most recently in January of 2026, Michelle was featured with the Tel Aviv Soloist Ensemble as conductor, violin, and piano soloist. 

Michelle recently completed her double bachelor’s degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music, majoring in both violin and piano performance. She studied violin with Ilya Kaler and Olga Dubossarskaya-Kaler, and piano with Antonio Pompa-Bald.