James Gaffigan conducting the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra in 2004 (above). Mr. Gaffigan worked with Cleveland Orchestra Music Director Franz Welser-Möst from 2003 through 2006 and went on to become the associate conductor of the San Francisco Symphony. He has recently been appointed in two positions in Europe.
James Gaffigan to Lucerne Symphony
By Nicholas Beard
MusicalAmerica.com
February 11, 2010
American conductor James Gaffigan, 30, only recently announced as principal guest conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic as of 2011, has another new job in the pipeline: chief conductor of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, effective with the 2011-12 season.
Gaffigan is a former associate conductor of the San Francisco Symphony and assistant conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra. He won first prize in the Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition 2004 in Frankfurt.
He last led the LSO in 2008 and 2009.
“My overall artistic strategy here will be to provide the essential vitamins that every orchestra needs,” said Gaffigan in his comments, “in the form of Haydn, Mozart and Schubert as well as developing the orchestra’s core repertoire of Beethoven and Brahms. My initial focus is not going to be on Mahler symphonies or The Rite of Spring; rather, I want to concentrate on creating the versatility of styles required to perform everything from Mozart to Debussy.”
Gaffigan cites Mariss Jansons’ achievements with the Oslo Philharmonic and Neeme Järvi’s with the Gothenburg Symphony as inspirations.
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