Michael Zisman was born in 1982. He studied the bandoneon with Nestor Marconi in Buenos Aires and composition with Juan C. Cirigliano. He made his first public appearance in 1993 at the age of eleven, when he appeared as a surprise guest at a concert in Geneva with the tango legends Leopoldo Federico and Atilio Stampone.

His debut on the big stage came in Berne in 1994. At a benefit concert presented by Sir Yehudi Menuhin, "tous les violons du monde", he played in a tango ensemble, led by his father, Daniel Zisman. Since then Michael Zisman has made numerous recordings with his father. They appear together in various tango groups (including the Duo Tango2 and the 676 Nuevotango Ensemble) or play in different symphony orchestras.

Michael Zisman also studies improvisation, composition and arrangement at the Swiss Jazz School with such names as Bert Joris, Andy Scherrer, Frank Sikora, Klaus König and Klaus Wagenleiter. He has also attended several master-classes (for example, with Jim McNeely and Daniel Schnyder).