François Shapira (1928-1975)
Manager, musicologist, teacher and critic. Born in Romania, he graduated at the University of Bucharest. Until 1959, he worked as a music teacher and critic in the Romanian capital. Since 1961, he was the general director of the Chamber Music Association and the Batsheva de Rothschild Foundation for Arts and Sciences and was de Rothschild’s personal friend.
In 1964 he began to manage Batsheva and became its first general director. Shapira contributed significantly to shaping the company’s organizational and artistic character in its early years. In 1968, he resigned due to disagreements with other board members regarding the company’s artistic direction.
After leaving Batsheva Shapira directed the musical activities of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, a position he held until his death in 1975.