Shehori was born in Israel and studied in Tel Aviv with Mindru Katz, whom he cites as his most influential teacher. At the age of nine he gave his first public performance. Later he received first prize in the Beethoven Competition and received the American Israel Cultural Foundation Award. In New York, he studied with Claude Frank at the Mannes College of Music and graduated from the Juilliard School. Shehori made his New York debut after winning the 1974 Jeunesses Musicales Competition. He concertises in the United States, Canada, and Europe and has performed at various music festivals and at the White House. He has given 27 different recital programs in New York in as many years. His commercial recordings for Connoisseur Society and Cembal d'amour include music by Beethoven, Chopin, Scarlatti, Liszt, Rameau, Rachmaninoff, and many others. He is a two-time recipient of the La Gesse Foundation Award, and is listed on the roster of Steinway & Sons. From 1971 to 1982, Shehori was piano teacher to Isaac and Vera Stern's children. In 2014, Shehori has stated that on several occasions Stern used his influence in an attempt to sabotage Shehori's career, even attempting to have him deported from the United States. In February 1987, Shehori assisted Vladimir Horowitz in preparing Mozart's Piano Concerto K.488, playing the orchestral reduction on second piano, while Horowitz played the concerto's solo part. This took place in the basement of Steinway & Sons in New York City. Later that year, Horowitz traveled to Milan and recorded the concerto for Deutsche Grammophon with the La Scala Theater Orchestra conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini. Horowitz was so pleased with Shehori's accompaniment that he began to invite him to his home on East 94th Street. Shehori spent many evenings with the Horowitzes. Shehori acted as page turner for Horowitz in what turned out to be the sessions for his final recording in Horowitz's New York home from October 24, 1989 to November 1, 1989. Horowitz died just a few days later, on November 5, 1989. Shehori has cited his friendship and artistic collaboration with Vladimir Horowitz as a significant source of knowledge and inspiration.
Reviews of Concerts
Ericson, Raymond, et al.. "Music in Review; Israeli Pianist in Debut Here" New York Times. March 24.
. "Mordecai Shehori Gives Piano Recital" New York Times. June 3.
Ericson, Raymond. "Piano Recital: Shehori Plays Three Sonatas". New York Times. May 26.
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Rivers, Kate. "Shehori: Poetry in Music" The Washington Post. November 3.
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Reviews of Recordings
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Haylock, Julian. "The Celebrated New York Concerts Volume 3 Mordecai Shehori, piano"
