May 10-12: Conductor Gemma New Steps in to Lead San Francisco Symphony in Subscription Debut

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Katy Salomon | Primo Artists | VP, Public Relations 
katy@primoartists.com | 212.837.8466  

 Conductor Gemma New Makes San Francisco Symphony
Subscription Debut from May 10 to 12, 2024

Leading Grazyna Bacewicz’s Overture, Edward Elgar’s 
Cello Concerto, and Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 “Scottish”

“[New] demonstrated a crisp and vivid podium technique complemented 
by a canny mastery of orchestral balance.” – San Francisco Classical Voice

www.gemmanew.com

San Francisco, CA (May 6, 2024) – New Zealand-born conductor Gemma New will make her San Francisco Symphony subscription debut, stepping in for Marta Gardolinska in the symphony’s upcoming May 10 and 12, 2024 performances at Davies Symphony Hall, and the May 11, 2024 performance at UC Davis’s Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. The program, which remains unchanged, includes Grazyna Bacewicz’s Overture; Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto, with Pablo Ferrández; and Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 “Scottish.” Gardolinska has regretfully had to withdraw from the program due to a family illness.

Gemma New previously conducted the San Francisco Symphony in two programs during the 2019 summer season at Stanford Live’s Frost Amphitheater.

The 2023/24 season marked New’s ninth and final season as Music Director of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, and her second season as Artistic Advisor and Principal Conductor of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. In addition to the upcoming San Francisco Symphony debut, New has made subscription debuts this season with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Vancouver Symphony and Orchestre National de France. 

New’s summer 2024 performances include leading the world premiere of Huang Ruo’s immersive City of Floating Sounds with the BBC Philharmonic and Factory International in Manchester from June 6 to 8, and a return to The BBC Proms to lead the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra with clarinetist Anthony McGill in Mozart's Clarinet Concerto and Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream on August 16, 2024 at Royal Albert Hall.

Performance Details
San Francisco Symphony Orchestral Series – Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony 
Friday, May 10, 2024, at 7:30pm (Davies Symphony Hall)
Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 7:30pm (UC Davis Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts)
Sunday, May 12, 2024, at 2:00pm (Davies Symphony Hall)
Tickets: $25–150 
Link: www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2023-24/MENDELSSOHN-SCOTTISH 
 
Program:
Grazyna Bacewicz – Overture  
Edward Elgar – Cello Concerto 
Felix Mendelssohn – Symphony No. 3 “Scottish” 

Gemma New, conductor [Orchestral Series Debut] 
Pablo Ferrández, cello [Orchestral Series Debut] 
San Francisco Symphony  

Broadcast?/?Archived?Stream:? A broadcast of these performances will air Sunday, July 21, at 7:00pm on Classical KDFC 90.3 San Francisco, 104.9 San Jose, 89.9 Napa, and?kdfc.com,?where it will be available for on-demand streaming?for 21 days following the broadcast.

About Gemma New
Gemma New’s 2023-2024 season included North American returns to the Atlanta Symphony, Seattle Symphony, and Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. Continually in demand in Europe, New makes her debut with the Bamberger Symphoniker as well as conducting the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Barcelona y Nacional de Cataluña, Orquesta Nacional de España, Orchestre de l’Opéra de Rouen-Normandie, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine and Staatsorchester Hannover.

New regularly appears with top orchestras in North America and Europe, having conducted the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, WDR Sinfonieorchester, BBC Philharmonic, Hallé Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Helsingborgs Symfoniorkester, Ulster Orchestra, Orchestre National d’Ile de France and Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

In her work as Music Director of the Hamilton Philharmonic, New has been committed to deepening the artistic level of the orchestra and expanding its reach into the community. New launched the HPO’s first “Intimate and Immersive” concert series, which celebrates music by Canadian composers in a visually vibrant setting. From Handel’s Messiah, to Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, to Iman Habibi’s Jeder Baum spricht, the HPO under New's leadership has embraced a programming style that builds a trust and excitement with audiences. Highlights include collaborations with Canada’s leading soloists, such as James Ehnes, Timothy Chooi, Janina Fialkowska and Stewart Goodyear. New has encouraged growth of the HPO Family and Education programs, as well as actively contributing to the strong relationship between the HPO and the HPYO.

New previously served for four seasons as Principal Guest Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and she served as Resident Conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Associate Conductor of the New Jersey Symphony. A former Dudamel Conducting Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Conducting Fellow at Tanglewood Music Center, she was awarded Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Awards in 2017, 2019 and 2020, before receiving the 2021 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award.

*Photo Credit: Roy Cox

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