TRONDHEIM (February 17, 2021) — Trondheim Symphony Orchestra & Opera announces the appointment of James Gaffigan as Principal Guest Conductor. The appointment takes effect immediately and lasts for two seasons. Gaffigan’s first appearances in his new title will be with two opera concerts on March 9 and 11, 2021 plus a concert with soloist Lise Davidsen on March 25, 2021.
James Gaffigan is an internationally sought-after conductor leading top orchestras and opera companies throughout Europe, North America and Asia.
Gaffigan is currently Chief Conductor of the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester and Principal Guest Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. He was also recently appointed Music Director of the Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra, starting in July 2021.
As Chief Conductor of the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, Gaffigan has made a significant impact on the orchestra’s profile. Their latest recording of Rachmaninoff on Sony Classical received a Gramophone 2020 Critics’ Choice Award. He is an extraordinary orchestra builder who has earned a high level of trust amongst musicians. For Gaffigan, music is about giving something back to the audience. He is genuinely interested in quality music-making that enriches and touches both those who play the music and those who listen.
Prior to COVID, Gaffigan’s schedule was filled with performances in the major concert and opera houses of Europe and the United States. Through the pandemic, Gaffigan has spent more time in Norway where his family resides. His wife Camilla Kjøll, a Norweigian violinist, plays regularly with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra & Opera as concertmaster. This opportunity to spend more time in Norway allowed Gaffigan to become better acquainted with the nation’s orchestras.
Gaffigan led the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra & Opera for the first time in September 2020. He conducted music by Dvorák and Brahms, and there was an immediate chemistry between orchestra and conductor. He connected with the orchestra’s high international level of music-making and a deep understanding and feeling for the standard repertoire.
James Gaffigan says: “In my opinion, Trondheim is the ‘hidden gem’ of the Norwegian music world!”
Together with Chief Conductor Han-Na Chang, James Gaffigan will undoubtedly help to raise the profile of Trondheim Symphony Orchestra & Opera nationally and internationally.
About James Gaffigan
James Gaffigan conducts leading orchestras such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Staatskapelle Dresden, Vienna Symphony, Tonhalle Orchester Zürich, Orchestre de Paris, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Tokyo Metropolitan and Seoul Philharmonic. Gaffigan is a regular at the Metropolitan Opera and Bayerische Staatsoper, plus Zürich Opera, Vienna Staatsoper, Paris Opera, Dutch National Opera, Glyndebourne Festival, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Santa Fe Opera.
About Trondheim Symphony Orchestra & Opera
With its versatility, vitality and musical quality of the highest standard, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra & Opera (TSO) is regarded as a powerhouse of Norwegian culture, establishing itself as a source of inspiration for the nation as a whole. The orchestra has enjoyed a long musical tradition. Up to the 19th century, Trondheim was a center for sacred music, with many significant musicians settling in the area. Keeping pace with the expanding European music culture, several music societies were formed. TSO was founded in 1909, and with the formation of Trondheim Chamber Orchestra in 1947, the modern symphony of Trondheim began to take on the shape we know today. During the Second World War, the TSO was expelled from its concert hall, as the German occupying power appropriated the building and turned it in to their local headquarters, Deutsches Haus in Trondheim. However, that did not deter the TSO from presenting music to the people of Trondheim during these difficult years. Activity was upheld in the churches of the city, serving as a temporary stage for a string of concert performances throughout the war. In more recent times, the orchestra has established a solid position as an inspiring impulse.
Each season, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra & Opera presents a diverse classical program including full-stage opera productions. Through numerous education and community programs, they display their commitment to the future of music and their support for the next generation of artists. TSO toured China in 2010, premiering at the opening of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. This highly successful tour also included a performance in Beijing’s Century Theater and concerts in Nanping and Suzhou. The main ambition of the TSO is to produce and convey musical performances at the highest level, to an audience as broad as possible. A leading strategy throughout 2017 has been innovation in the way their music is presented. TSO has a complex organizational model that covers three main areas: symphonic acitivity, opera and music theater, including a professional choir in cooperation with the Nidaros Cathedral and a collaboration with the Trondheim Soloists, in exchanging musicians between the two orchestras.
