Conductor James Gaffigan Announces 2025-2026 Season Highlights

Third Season as General Music Director of Komische Oper Berlin Brings
Multiple Opera Productions, Plus Special Tempelhof Airport Concert

Guest Engagements with the Houston Grand Opera,
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic,
National Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony,
NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, and Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana

Leads Solo Performances by Yo-Yo Ma, Jean-Yves Thibaudet,
Renée Fleming, Hélène Grimaud, and More

“a feisty intensity” – The New York Times

“effortlessly chic” – The Washington Post

“Gaffigan is one of the most promising conductors of his generation.” – Musical America

www.jamesgaffigan.com 

New York, NY (August 6, 2025) – Praised for his “impassioned leadership” (The Wall Street Journal) and “meticulous presentation” (OperaWire), American conductor James Gaffigan is known worldwide for his equal prowess as a conductor of symphony orchestras and opera. He holds unique prominence among American conductors in Europe, beginning his third season as General Music Director of Komische Oper Berlin, where he conducts Evgeny Titov’s new production of Strauss’s Salome and Barrie Kosky’s new production of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, along with revivals of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, and Shostakovich’s The Nose. He also leads a grand performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 in the unique acoustic space of a hangar at Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport.

Among his guest-conducting highlights, Gaffigan makes his return to the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, Spain, where last year he concluded a celebrated four-year tenure as Music Director – now returning to lead Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana in a production of Salome. He also returns to the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester in Hamburg for a concert of music inspired by the works of Shakespeare. In the United States, Gaffigan returns to Houston Grand Opera to conduct director Francesca Zambello’s acclaimed production of Porgy and Bess. In concert, he returns to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducting a performance of Mozart’s Requiem at the Hollywood Bowl. He appears three times with the San Francisco Symphony, first conducting a program of Gershwin and Ellington featuring pianist Hélène Grimaud, and returning to lead the orchestra in performances of Elgar’s Cello Concerto featuring Yo-Yo Ma and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Soprano Renée Fleming will be featured as Gaffigan returns to lead the National Symphony Orchestra, while pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet joins Gaffigan and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for a performance of Bernstein’s Symphony No. 2, “The Age of Anxiety.”

In Gaffigan’s season-opening engagement with Komische Oper Berlin on September 25 and 26, 2026, he and the orchestra bring the majesty of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 to the vast industrial space of Hangar 4 at Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport, allowing the music to resound in the unique setting. The orchestra of Komische Oper Berlin will be joined in this grand performance by the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; the Children's Choir of the Komische Oper Berlin; and choral soloists from Vocalconsort Berlin and Rundfunkchor Berlin, as well as Komische Oper Berlin’s own company.

From November 22, 2025 to January 3, 2026, Gaffigan conducts Komische Oper Berlin in Evgeny Titov’s new production of Strauss’s Salome, leading seven performances of this classic one-act opera depicting its Biblical tale of temptation. Gaffigan goes on to lead Komische Oper Berlin in Barrie Kosky’s production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, running for five performances from January 16 to February 1, 2026. Kosky rejoins Gaffigan and Komische Oper Berlin to direct his new production of Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, running for eight dates from January 31 to March 14, 2026. From February 21 to April 4, 2026, Gaffigan leads the company in Dagmar Manzel’s production of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, running for a total of eight performance dates. Known for her earlier family-oriented production of Pippi Longstocking, Manzel invokes both the enchantment and the darker undertones in this classic German fairy tale. In Gaffigan’s final performances with Komische Oper Berlin this season, Barrie Kosky returns to direct The Nose, bringing Shostakovich’s satirical romp to the stage for five performances from March 15 to April 6, 2026.

In guest engagements, Gaffigan begins his season at the Hollywood Bowl, conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a performance of Mozart’s Requiem, joined by soprano Elena Villalón, mezzo-soprano Isabel Signoret, tenor Joshua Blue, bass-baritone Christian Van Horn, and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. The program also includes Brahms’ Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny) and Ellen Reid’s Body Cosmic, an LA Phil commission. On September 18, 19, and 20, 2025, Gaffigan returns to the San Francisco Symphony, where pianist Hélène Grimaud features in a performance of Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, performed alongside Carlos Simon’s The Block, Gershwin’s An American in Paris, and Ellington’s Harlem. 

Gaffigan returns to Houston Grand Opera for the first six performances of director Francesca Zambello’s production of George and Ira Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, running from October 24 to November 9, 2025. A part of HGO history, Porgy and Bess was first performed by the company 50 years ago in a landmark production that earned both a GRAMMY® and an Emmy. This season’s HGO production stars bass-baritone Michael Sumuel as Porgy alongside soprano Angel Blue as Bess.

Returning to Europe, Gaffigan conducts the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester in Hamburg on March 19 and 22, 2026. Violist Lawrence Power is featured on Grazyna Bacewicz’s Viola Concerto, paired on this program with a selection of pieces inspired by the works of William Shakespeare: Strauss’s Macbeth, Op. 23, Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture, Op. 21, and excerpts from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet.

From April 25 to May 9, 2026, Gaffigan makes his return to Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, Spain, leading Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana in six performances of Strauss’s Salome. Damiano Michieletto will direct.

Beginning a string of U.S. performances to conclude his season, Gaffigan conducts the National Symphony Orchestra in Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene at the Kennedy Center on May 29 and 30, 2026. Soprano Renée Fleming performs with the orchestra for this program bringing together stunning images of nature with music reflecting the human experience in the environment – including selections from Handel, Nico Muhly, Maria Schneider, Villa-Lobos, Björk, Burt Bacharach/Hal David, and others. In keeping with the theme, the program also includes Ives’ Three Places in New England and Copland’s Appalachian Spring – Suite. On June 1, 2026, Yo-Yo Ma joins the San Francisco Symphony as Gaffigan conducts Elgar’s Cello Concerto, paired on this program with Mozart’s Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter.” Gaffigan goes on to conduct the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet in Bernstein’s Symphony No. 2 “The Age of Anxiety,” performed alongside Gershwin’s Overture from Girl Crazy, Weill’s Lady in the Dark, Symphonic Nocturne, and a selection of Spirituals for Gospel Choir and Orchestra, performed with the Apostolic Church of God Sanctuary Choir. In the final engagement of his season, Gaffigan returns to the San Francisco Symphony to conduct Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, joined by soprano Jessica Faselt, mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor, tenor Thomas Cooley, bass Peixin Chen, and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, directed by Jenny Wong.

James Gaffigan 2025–2026 Season Calendar
Thursday, September 4, 2025 at 8:00pm
Mozart’s Requiem with the LA Phil
Hollywood Bowl | Los Angeles, CA
Link: www.hollywoodbowl.com/events/performances/3629/2025-09-04/mozarts-requiem

Program:
Ellen Reid – Body Cosmic
Johannes Brahms – Schicksalslied
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Requiem in D minor

Elena Villalón, soprano
Isabel Signoret, mezzo-soprano
Joshua Blue, tenor
Christian Van Horn, bass-baritone
Los Angeles Master Chorale

Thursday, September 18, 2025; Friday, September 19; Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 7:30pm
Gershwin and Ellington with Hélène Grimaud
Davies Symphony Hall | San Francisco, CA
Link: www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2025-26/GERSHWIN-ELLINGTON

Program:
Carlos Simon – The Block
George Gershwin – Piano Concerto in F
George Gershwin – An American in Paris
Duke Ellington – Harlem

Hélène Grimaud, piano

Thursday, September 25, 2025 and Friday, September 26, 2025 at 8:00pm
Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 at Tempelhof
Tempelhof Airport – Hangar 4 | Berlin, Germany
Link: www.komische-oper-berlin.de/spielplan/kalender/2025-09/tausend-in-tempelhof/979/

Program:
Gustav Mahler – Symphony No. 8

Choral soloists of the Komische Oper Berlin / Vocalconsort Berlin / Rundfunkchor Berlin
Children's Choir of the Komische Oper Berlin
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin

Friday, October 24 & Sunday, October 26, 2025; Saturday, November 1; Wednesday, November 5; Friday, November 7; Sunday, November 9, 2025
Porgy and Bess at Houston Grand Opera
Alice and George Brown Theater, Wortham Theater Center | Houston, TX, USA
Link: www.houstongrandopera.org/on-stage/porgy-and-bess

Program:
George Gershwin – Porgy and Bess

Saturday, November 22 and Friday, November 28, 2025; Sunday, December 7; Friday, December 12; Thursday, December 18; Saturday, December 27, 2025; Saturday, January 3, 2026
Salome at Komische Oper Berlin
Schiller Theater | Berlin, Germany
Link: www.komische-oper-berlin.de/spielplan/kalender/salome/1065/

Program:
Richard Strauss – Salome

Friday, January 16; Friday, January 23; Sunday, January 25; Friday, January 30;
Sunday, February 1, 2026
Eugene Onegin at Komische Oper Berlin
Schiller Theater | Berlin, Germany
Link: www.komische-oper-berlin.de/spielplan/kalender/jewgeni-onegin/969/

Program:
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Eugene Onegin

Saturday, January 31; Friday, February 6; Sunday, February 8; Tuesday, February 24; Thursday, February 26; Sunday, March 1; Saturday, March 7; Saturday, March 14, 2026
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk at Komische Oper Berlin
Schiller Theater | Berlin, Germany
Link: www.komische-oper-berlin.de/spielplan/kalender/2026-01/lady-macbeth-von-mzensk/1039/

Program:
Dmitri Shostakovich – Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk

Saturday, February 21; Wednesday, February 25; Sunday, March 8; and Friday, March 20; Saturday, April 4, 2026
Hansel and Gretel at Komische Oper Berlin
Schiller Theater | Berlin, Germany
Link: www.komische-oper-berlin.de/spielplan/kalender/haensel-und-gretel/924/

Program:
Engelbert Humperdinck – Hansel and Gretel

Sunday, March 15; Sunday, March 22; Friday, March 27; Sunday, March 29; Monday, April 6, 2026
The Nose at Komische Oper Berlin
Schiller Theater | Berlin, Germany
Link: www.komische-oper-berlin.de/spielplan/kalender/die-nase/956/

Program:
Dmitri Shostakovich – The Nose

Thursday, March 19, 2026 and Sunday, March 22, 2026
James Gaffigan Conducts Elbphilharmonie Orchestra
Hamburg Elbphilharmonie | Hamburg, Germany
Link: www.ndr.de/orchester_chor/elbphilharmonieorchester/konzerte/NDR-Elbphilharmonie-Orchester-mit-James-Gaffigan-und-Lawrence-Power,gaffigan112.html

Program:
Richard Strauss – Macbeth, Op. 23
Grazyna Bacewicz – Viola Concerto
Felix Mendelssohn – A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture, Op. 21
Sergei Prokofiev – Excerpts from Romeo and Juliet

Saturday, April 25 at 7:00pm; Wednesday, April 29 at 7:30pm; Sunday, May 3 at 7:30pm; Wednesday, May 6 at 7:30pm; Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 7:00pm
Salome with Les Arts Valencia Opera
The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía | Valencia, Spain
Link: www.lesarts.com/en/salome/

Program:
Richard Strauss – Salome

Vida Mikneviciute, soprano
Michaela Schuster, mezzo-soprano
John Daszak, tenor
Joel Prieto, tenor
Nicholas Brownlee, bass-baritone

Friday, May 29, 2026 & Saturday, May 30, 2026 at 8:00pm
Voice of Nature – The Anthropocene with Renée Fleming
Kennedy Center | Washington, D.C.
Link: www.kennedy-center.org/nso/home/2025-2026/gaffigan-fleming/

Program:
Various – Voice of Nature – The Anthropocene
Charles Ives – Three Places in New England
Aaron Copland – Appalachian Spring Suite

Renée Fleming, soprano

Monday, June 1, 2026 at 7:30pm
Yo-Yo Ma and Gaffigan with the SF Symphony
Davies Symphony Hall | San Francisco, CA, USA
Link: www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2025-26/YO-YO-MA

Program:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Symphony No. 41
Edward Elgar – Cello Concerto

Yo-Yo Ma, cello

Thursday, June 11 at 7:30pm; Friday, June 12 at 1:30pm; Saturday, June 13, 2026 at 7:30pm
Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Gaffigan, Thibaudet & Bernstein
Symphony Center | Chicago, IL, USA
Link: www.cso.org/performances/25-26/cso-classical/gaffigan-thibaudet-bernstein/

Program:
George Gershwin – Overture to Girl Crazy
Various – Selected Spirituals
Kurt Weill (arr. R.R. Bennett) – Lady in the Dark, Symphonic Nocturne
Leonard Bernstein – Symphony No. 2 “The Age of Anxiety”

Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano
Apostolic Church of God Sanctuary Choir

Thursday, June 18, 2026; Saturday, June 20, 2026; Sunday, June 21, 2026 at 7:30pm
Beethoven’s Ninth with Gaffigan
Davies Symphony Hall | San Francisco, CA, USA
Link: www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2025-26/GAFFIGAN-CONDUCTS-BEETHOVEN-9

Program:
Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No. 9

Soloists:
Jessica Faselt, soprano
Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano
Thomas Cooley, tenor
Peixin Chen, bass

About James Gaffigan
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. The mutual trust he builds with artists empowers them to cultivate the highest art possible.

Gaffigan holds unique prominence among American conductors in Europe and serves as the General Music Director of Komische Oper Berlin, where he begins his third season in 2025/2026 off widely acclaimed productions of Sweeney Todd, The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni.

In his 2025/2026 season with Komische Oper Berlin, Gaffigan leads new productions of Salome and Lady MacBeth of Mtsensk, along with revivals of Eugene Onegin, Hansel and Gretel, and The Nose. Guest engagements include returns to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Music Academy of the West and Houston Grand Opera, where he leads a production of Porgy and Bess. In Europe, he makes return engagements with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Les Arts Valencia Opera, and the Verbier Festival.

As an orchestral conductor, Gaffigan regularly works with the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Detroit Symphony Orchestra, among many others. In Europe, he has appeared with the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker, Mu¨nchner Philharmoniker, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Norske Opera and Ballet, Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin, Staatskapelle Berlin and Czech Philharmonic.

A regular at the Metropolitan Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, and Opéra National de Paris, Gaffigan has also conducted the Zürich Opera, Vienna Staatsoper, Staatsoper Hamburg, Dutch National Opera, Glyndebourne Festival, Houston Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Santa Fe Opera.

Gaffigan’s previous titles include Music Director of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, 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. An alumnus of the Aspen Music Festival’s Aspen Conducting Academy and the Tanglewood Music Center, he was first prize winner of the 2004 Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition.

A product of the New York City public school system, Gaffigan studied at the LaGuardia High School of Music and Art before pursuing his conducting studies. He remains passionate about music education as a means of fostering opportunity and diversity in classical music.

*Photo Credit: Miguel Lorenzo

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