Like his mentor Daniel Barenboim, Lahav Shani is active as both pianist and conductor. In 2007, Shani appeared as a pianist with the Israel Philharmonic, and three years later, he was hired as pianist and assistant conductor there for an upcoming tour. In 2015, Shani made his debut with the Vienna Philharmonic. Shani made his recording debut in 2016 with flutist Eyal Ein-Habar and cellist Adi Tal on an album of chamber music by Mendelssohn and Louise Farrenc. After a guest-conducting appearance with the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the Rotterdam musicians unanimously chose Shani as their next principal conductor. Shani supplanted Mehta as music director of the Israel Philharmonic in 2020. That year, he made his first recording in Rotterdam, featuring works by Beethoven. He returned in 2022, leading the Rotterdam Philharmonic in a recording of works by Kurt Weill and Shostakovich.