Born in the former Soviet Union, Michael Zaretsky graduated form the Moscow State Conservatory cum laude. He began his career as a member of the Moscow Philharmonic String Quartet and later, of the Moscow Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra. After immigration to Israel, Mr. Zaretsky became principal violist of the Jerusalem Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra and a soloist of the Israeli Radio. Leonard Bernstein heard him play and brought him to Tanglewood. There, while a Fellow of the Tanglewood Music Center, he successfully auditioned for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which he joined that year. Being active as a performer in solo recitals and chamber music concerts, Mr. Zaretsky has also appeared as a soloist with different symphony and chamber orchestras. He is member of the faculty of Boston University and the Longy School of Music. Mr. Zaretsky regularly performs in Japan where he recently recorded two compact discs. Mr. Zaretsky is a member and soloist of the Ars Poetica Chamber Orchestra, comprised of internationally acclaimed musicians. In August 1998 Michael Zaretsky released a new CD Black Snow with music of Russian composers for viola and piano (in collaboration with Xak Bjerken) under ARTONA label.

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