James Gaffigan (conductor)

For the American comedian, see Jim Gaffigan.

James Gaffigan (born 1979, New York City) is an American conductor. His father, Dennis Gaffigan, was a salesman for Procter & Gamble, and his mother, Cheryl Gaffigan, was a school secretary.[1][2] Gaffigan was a student at the LaGuardia High School and the Juilliard School Preparatory Division.[3]

Gaffigan studied music at the New England Conservatory of Music, and subsequently at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, where his teachers included Larry Rachleff, and he played the bassoon in the school orchestra. He earned a Master's degree from the Shepherd School in 2003.[4] He was a bassoon player with the New World Symphony. He subsequently developed an interest in conducting, and studied at the American Academy of Conducting of the Aspen Music Festival and School, where his teachers included David Zinman. He was a conducting fellow at Tanglewood in 2003. In 2004, he was a first-prize recipient at the Georg Solti Conducting Competition in Germany.

Gaffigan was assistant conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra from 2003 to 2006. During this period in Cleveland, he also served as music director of the CityMusic Cleveland chamber orchestra from 2005-2010,[5] and continues as its artistic adviser. He then was associate conductor of the San Francisco Symphony from 2006 to 2009, during which time he served as artistic director of the orchestra's 'Summer in the City' festival.

In Europe, Gaffigan first guest-conducted the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra in 2008. He returned for a second guest-conducting appearance in June 2009. In January 2010, the orchestra named him its next chief conductor, effective with the 2011-2012 season.[6] In June 2015, his Lucerne contract was extended through the 2021-2022 season.[7] With the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Gaffigan has commercially recorded music of Antonín Dvořák and of Wolfgang Rihm for harmonia mundi.[8][9] In parallel with the announcement of his Lucerne appointment, Gaffigan was named principal guest conductor of the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest (RFO), with a contract for 4 weeks of concerts per season. He took up the RFO post.in August 2011, and he is currently scheduled to serve as RFO principal guest conductor through the 2017-2018 season. In September 2013, he became principal guest conductor of the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, the first principal guest conductor in the orchestra’s history.

Gaffigan and his wife Lee Taylor Gaffigan, married since June 2008,[1] have two children, Sofia and Liam. The family resides in Lucerne.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 "Lee Taylor, James Gaffigan". New York Times. 2008-06-15. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
  2. ↑ Tom Strini (2012-04-05). "This Week At The MSO: Conductor James Gaffigan". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
  3. ↑ Tom Keogh (2010-03-10). "Guest conductor James Gaffigan is much-traveled, much in demand". Seattle Times. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
  4. 1 2 Steven Brown (2014-02-21). "James Gaffigan strives for balanced approach". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
  5. ↑ Joshua Kosman (2005-11-02). "New associate conductor for Symphony". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
  6. ↑ Martin Cullingford (2010-02-08). "James Gaffigan to head Lucerne Symphony Orchestra". Gramophone. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
  7. ↑ "LSO verlängert den Vertrag mit Chefdirigenten". Neue Luzerner Zeitung. 2015-06-19. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
  8. ↑ Andrew Clements (2013-04-25). "Rihm: Symphonie Nähe Fern – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
  9. ↑ Fiona Maddocks (2014-10-04). "Dvorák: Symphony No 6, American Suite Op 96b CD review – warm, subtle, pin-sharp". The Observer. Retrieved 2016-04-24.

External links

Cultural offices
Preceded by
John Axelrod		 Chief Conductor, Lucerne Symphony Orchestra
2011–present 		Succeeded by
incumbent
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