Cantor Pavel Roytman is a native of Nikolaev, Ukraine. At the age of seven, he was accepted as a piano student to a music school for gifted children. He continued his studies in piano and conducting at the Kaliningrad Music College (Russia) and later at Petrozavodsk State Conservatory.
In 1994, Cantor Roytman immigrated to the United States where he obtained his BM in Voice Performance from DePaul University and MM in Musicology from Northwestern University. Cantor Roytman was certified in 2006 as cantor by the American Conference of Cantors and in 2015 by the Cantor’s Assembly.
Cantor Roytman has made numerous appearances at the Greater Chicago Jewish Folk Arts Festival, Chicago YIVO Society, Illinois Holocaust, Illinois State Fair, Chicago City Winery, Chicago Summer Dance, WFMT National Radio, Israel’s Independence Day at Ravinia, Sir George Solti Annual Festival, the International Klezmer Gala in Stockholm, the International Jewish Music Festival in Tsfat, Golden Hanukkiah Competition in Berlin, and Copernic Synagogue in Paris.
In Chicago Cantor Roytman has appeared on stage a number of distinguished musicians and musical ensembles including: Chicago Acapella, Renovo Strings, Lincolnwood Chamber Orchestra, members of Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Corky Siegel and Chamber Blues, Howard Levy, The Maxwell Street Klezmer Band, B’hai Temple Choir, The Bright Star Church Choir, Kol Zimrah Jewish Community Singers, the Campanella Children’s Choir and Jewish Rock Radio Chicago Sings.
His voice was featured on a number of recordings: Journey of The Heart w/Cantor Marina Shemesh Phoenix 2010, Zing Mein Hartz w/ Klezmer Shpil Orchestra Tel Aviv 2011, and Max Janowski Great Works Volume 1, Chicago 2022
His creative work includes liturgical and secular compositions for voice and choir.
He is a Cantor at Beth Hillel Bnai Emunah in Wilmette Illinois.