Recognized worldwide for his natural ease and extraordinary collaborative spirit, American conductor James Gaffigan is esteemed as a conductor of both symphony orchestras and opera, building mutual trust with artists to cultivate their finest work.
Gaffigan is uniquely positioned with music directorships at two international opera houses, beginning his second season as general music director of Komische Oper Berlin and his fourth as music director of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia. In his 2024-2025 season with Komische Oper Berlin, Gaffigan leads productions of Sweeney Todd, The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni, among others. At Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, he conducts a varied season of programming including a staging of Der fliegende Holländer and brings the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana to the George Enescu International Festival in his debut there.
Guest engagements include his debut with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester and returns to the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks and Luzerner Sinfonieorchester. In the United States, he returns to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Houston Grand Opera and Santa Fe Opera.
Gaffigan was the first-prize winner of the 2004 Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition. His previous titles include principal guest conductor of both the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra & Opera, chief conductor of the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, associate conductor of the San Francisco Symphony and assistant conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra.
A product of New York City Public Schools and a passionate supporter of music education, Gaffigan studied at the LaGuardia High School of Music and Art before pursuing his conducting studies.
April 2025
Please note: Biographies are based on information provided to the CSOA by the artists or their representatives. More current information may be available on websites of the artists or their management.
