Begins Tenure as Music Director of Two European Opera Houses:
Inaugural Season at Komische Oper Berlin
Third Season at Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía
Guest Conducting Engagements Across Europe and North America,
Including Four Major U.S. Orchestras This Fall: Chicago Symphony Orchestra,
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra,
and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
“Gaffigan is one of the most promising conductors of his generation.” – Musical America
“a feisty intensity” – The New York Times
“effortlessly chic” – The Washington Post
New York, NY (September 13, 2023) – Praised for his “impassioned leadership” (The Wall Street Journal) and “meticulous presentation” (OperaWire), American conductor James Gaffigan is known worldwide for his equal prowess as a conductor of symphony orchestras and opera. Starting with the 2023/2024 season, Gaffigan holds the rare distinction of leading two very different top European opera houses, embarking on his new role as General Music Director at Komische Oper Berlin while continuing in his post as Music Director of Spain’s Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, home to the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana. Despite dividing his season between Berlin and Valencia – along with guest conducting engagements in Denmark, Finland and Norway – he also spends four consecutive weeks in the United States this fall, conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra before his return to Europe.
With Komische Oper Berlin, Gaffigan takes on leadership of the orchestra through summer 2027. Speaking to OperaWire on his appointment, Gaffigan commented, “I am proud to be able to shape this institution in the future as General Music Director and a member of the artistic management team, together with the wonderful orchestra and the entire ensemble. I am grateful that I have been able to enjoy an intensive education and cultural experience since my early childhood, which would not have been possible without the public education system of the city of New York, since I inherently lacked the means. I, therefore, also see my task of giving something back with this gift. I’m looking forward to doing that at the Komische Oper Berlin.”
Gaffigan’s inaugural season with Komische Oper Berlin begins Friday, December 8, 2023 with 1923, A Documentary Symphonic Concert – a program celebrating works by Bartók, Walter Kollo and Darius Milhaud that all premiered in 1923. His season continues December 15, 2023 to January 21, 2024 with Tchaikovsky’s lyric opera Eugene Onegin, along with a New Year’s Concert featuring two Turkish superstar musicians, Cem Adrian and Fazıl Say. From January 28, 2024 to March 20, 2024, Gaffigan leads Komische Oper Berlin in Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Golden Cockerel. On Saturday, February 10, 2023, he conducts Bowie Meets Bruckner, a program juxtaposing two “masters of opulence”: the 19th century Austrian composer and the British glam rocker, who recorded his landmark album Heroes in Berlin and had close ties to the city. Bringing unique ambience to the occasion, this program will be held at Berlin’s Vollgutlager, an industrial-style artistic space constructed on the site of the former Kindl Brewery. From March 15 to April 13, 2024, Gaffigan goes on to conduct Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman). On Friday, March 22, 2024 he leads a Children’s Concert featuring works by Gershwin, Liszt and Edward MacDowell. On Friday, April 12, 2024 he conducts Go East!, a program dedicated to the composers of eastern Germany, from Bach to Siegfried Matthus, esteemed composer of the mid-20th century’s divided Germany. Gaffigan’s season with Komische Oper Berlin closes April 27 through May 26, 2024, with Mozart’s Le Nozze Di Figaro, directed by the multi-award-winning Kirill Serebrennikov – recently noted for continuing to direct remotely while serving a two-year house arrest in Moscow, widely seen as state retaliation for his liberal and pro-LGBTQ stances.
At Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, Gaffigan’s season opened with a program featuring works by Strauss and Mozart, running from September 1-9, 2023, with a final “open doors day” performance on Sunday, September 10, 2023. From October 1-14, 2023, Gaffigan conducts Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades (La Dama de Picas). On Sunday, October 15, 2023, he leads a noon concert, Matins a les Arts (Morning in the Arts), featuring soloists of the orchestra in a program of Stravinsky and Mozart. On Thursday, November 16 and Friday, November 17, 2023, he conducts a concert featuring works by Wagner and Tchaikovsky, as well as the 19th and 20th century Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz. On Saturday, February 17 and Sunday, February 18, 2024, he returns to Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía for the first time in the new year, leading a program of works by Schubert and Bruckner. He concludes his season with Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana from June 6-19, 2024 with English director Simon McBurney’s production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, seen at The Metropolitan Opera last season.
Gaffigan also pursues an active guest conducting schedule this season. To begin his four-week run in the United States, he conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a program of Barber, Gershwin, Bernstein and Revueltas from October 19-24, 2023. On October 27 and 28, 2023, he leads the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in Ring Without Words, a program including Mozart, Wagner and Bacewicz. From November 3-5, 2023, he conducts the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in Passion & Power: Mozart, Ravel & Tchaikovsky, featuring violinist Bomsori Kim. With the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, he conducts performances of Cavalleria Rusticana on Saturday, November 11 and Sunday, November 12, 2023.
In Europe, Gaffigan’s guest conducting schedule commenced July 15-30, 2023 at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, where he conducted the Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra in its 10th anniversary season. From August 1-6, 2023, he appeared at the Fiskars Summer Festival in Finland. His season continued in Denmark, where he conducted two programs featuring soprano Lise Davidsen: with the Copenhagen Philharmonic on Tuesday, August 15, 2023 and with the Aalborg Symphony on Saturday, August 19, 2023. On Saturday, August 26, 2023 he conducted the final round for the Queen Sonja Competition for Young Singers in Oslo, Norway.
James Gaffigan 2023-2024 Season Calendar
July 15-30, 2023
Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra
Verbier, Switzerland
www.verbierfestival.com/en/academy/vfjo/
August 1-6, 2023
Fiskars Music Festival
Fiskars, Finland
www.fiskarsfestival.com/
Tuesday, August 15, 2023
Copenhagen Philharmonic
Copenhagen, Denmark
Link: https://copenhagenphil.dk/koncerter/tivolis-foedselsdagskoncert/
Saturday, August 19, 2023
Aalborg Symphony
Aalborg, Denmark
https://www.aalborgsymfoni.dk/Koncerter/Lise-Davidsen,19-08-20231930
Saturday, August 26, 2023
Norwegian Opera Finals Concert for the Queen Sonja Competition for Young Singers
Oslo, Norway
https://qssc.no/en/competition-2023/key-dates-and-programme
September 1-9, 2023
Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana
Valencia, Spain
Link: https://www.lesarts.com/es/les-arts-amb-tu-setembre/
Sunday, September 10, 2023
Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana
Valencia, Spain
Link: https://www.lesarts.com/jornada-de-portes-obertes/
October 1-14, 2023
Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana: Pique Dame
Valencia, Spain
Link: https://www.lesarts.com/la-dama-de-picas-fins28/
Sunday, October 15, 2023
Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana: Matins
Valencia, Spain
Link: https://www.lesarts.com/matins-a-les-arts-15×2023/
October 17-24, 2023
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Chicago, IL
https://cso.org/performances/23-24/cso-classical/gershwin-and-bernstein-west-side-story/
October 27-28, 2023
Cincinnati Symphony
Cincinnati, OH
https://www.cincinnatisymphony.org/tickets-and-events/buy-tickets/cso/2324-cso-season/ring-without-words/
November 3-5, 2023
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Pittsburgh, PA
https://www.pittsburghsymphony.org/production/84663/ravels-la-valse
Sunday, November 12, 2023
St. Louis Symphony
St. Louis, MO
https://shop.slso.org/7692
November 16-17, 2023
Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana
Valencia, Spain
Link: https://www.lesarts.com/en/james-gaffigan-16xi2023/
Friday, December 8, 2023
Komische Oper Berlin Symphonic: 1923, A Documentary Symphonic Concert
Berlin, Germany
Link: https://www.komische-oper-berlin.de/en/what/schedule/2023-12/1923/317/
December 15, 2023 – January 21, 2024
Komische Oper Berlin: Eugene Onegin
Berlin, Germany
Link: https://www.komische-oper-berlin.de/en/what/schedule/eugene-onegin/421/
Monday, January 1, 2024
Komische Oper Berlin: New Years’ Eve
Berlin, Germany
Link: https://www.komische-oper-berlin.de/en/what/schedule/2024-01/hudson-seine-und-bosporus/417/
January 28 – March 20, 2024
Komische Oper Berlin: The Golden Cockerel
Berlin, Germany
Link: https://www.komische-oper-berlin.de/en/what/schedule/the-golden-cockerel/389/
Saturday, February 10, 2024
Komische Oper Berlin: Bowie Meets Bruckner
Berlin, Germany
Link: https://www.komische-oper-berlin.de/en/what/schedule/2024-02/bowie-meets-bruckner/320/
February 17-18, 2024
Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana
Valencia, Spain
Link: https://www.lesarts.com/james-gaffigan-17ii2024/
March 15 – April 13, 2024
Komische Oper Berlin: Der Fliegende Holländer
Berlin, Germany
Link: https://www.komische-oper-berlin.de/spielplan/kalender/der-fliegende-hollaender/214/
Friday, March 22, 2024
Komische Oper Berlin: Children’s Concert
Berlin, Germany
Link: https://www.komische-oper-berlin.de/en/what/schedule/2024-03/playing-with-colours/319/
Friday, April 12, 2024
Komische Oper Berlin: Go East!
Berlin, Germany
Link: https://www.komische-oper-berlin.de/en/what/schedule/siko-go-east/324/
April 27 – May 26, 2024
Komische Oper Berlin: Le Nozze Di Figaro
Berlin, Germany
Link: https://www.komische-oper-berlin.de/spielplan/a-z/le-nozze-di-figaro/
June 6-19, 2024
Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana: Die Zauberflöte
Valencia, Spain
Link: https://lesarts.koobin.com/index.php?action=PU_evento&Ev_id=5407
About James Gaffigan
Recognized worldwide for his natural ease and extraordinary collaborative spirit, American conductor James Gaffigan has attracted international attention for his prowess as a conductor of both symphony orchestras and opera. The mutual trust he builds with artists empowers them to cultivate the highest art possible.
Gaffigan is uniquely positioned with Music Directorships at two international opera houses. He is the General Music Director of Komische Oper Berlin, a post that commences this 2023/2024 season, and is in his second season as Music Director of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, where he led widely acclaimed productions of Wozzeck, La Bohème and Tristan und Isolde. He additionally serves as Music Director of the Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra, where he champions the education of promising young musicians. The 2022/23 season marked Gaffigan’s final season as Principal Guest Conductor of both the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra & Opera. In 2021, Gaffigan finished his tenure as Chief Conductor of the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, a position he held for 10 years, where he raised the orchestra’s international profile with highly successful recordings and tours abroad.
Gaffigan is in high demand with leading orchestras and opera companies throughout North America and Europe. In the 2023/24 season, he returns to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and the St. Louis Symphony, where he leads a concert production of Cavalleria Rusticana. In Summer 2023, Gaffigan leads the Metropolitan Opera in their production of La Bohème, as well as the Orchestra de Paris with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra.
In his first season as General Music Director of the Komische Oper Berlin, Gaffigan will lead productions of Eugene Onegin, The Golden Cockerel, Der Fliegende Holländer and Le Nozze Di Figaro during the 2023/24 season. Committed to building and investing in young audiences, and presenting unflinchingly relevant and inclusive programming, Gaffigan will also lead Komische Oper in special programming for children throughout the season.
Recent orchestral appearances include London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Wiener Symphoniker, Münchner Philharmoniker, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Norske Opera and Ballet, Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin, Staatskapelle Berlin, Czech Philharmonic and Luzerner Symphonieorchester. In North America, Gaffigan regularly works with the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Toronto Symphony Orchestra, among others.
A regular at the Metropolitan Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, and Opéra National de Paris, Gaffigan has also conducted the Zürich Opera, Vienna Staatsoper, Staatsoper Hamburg, Dutch National Opera, Glyndebourne Festival, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Santa Fe Opera.
Gaffigan was first prize winner of the 2004 Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition, which opened Europe’s doors to him as a young American. In 2009, he completed a three-year tenure as Associate Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony, a position created for him by Michael Tilson Thomas. Prior to that, he was Assistant Conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra, where he worked with Music Director Franz Welser-Möst. Gaffigan is an alumnus of the Aspen Music Festival’s Aspen Conducting Academy and the Tanglewood Music Center.
Passionate about music education and a product of the New York City public school system, Gaffigan grew up in New York City and studied at the LaGuardia High School of Music and Art before pursuing his conducting studies. He believes that access to music education is the method by which America’s concert halls will finally begin to reflect our community and shrink the racial and gender gaps that exist in performing arts today. Learn more at www.jamesgaffigan.com.
*Photo Credit: Miguel Lorenzo
