Charting a Brilliant Ascent
1997 (Age 18)
• Graduates from LaGuardia High School and Juilliard Pre-College, studying bassoon
• Attends New England Conservatory for Bassoon Performance
2001 (Age 22)
• Attends Shepherd School at Rice University for Master’s Degree in Conducting
2003 (Age 24)
• Attends Tanglewood as a Conducting Fellow
• Begins as Assistant Conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra
2004 (Age 25)
• Wins First Prize at the Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition
2005 (Age 26–27)
• Makes professional opera debut with Zurich Opera
• Appointed Music Director of CityMusic Cleveland Chamber Orchestra
• Appointed Associate Conductor of San Francisco Symphony
2008 (Age 29)
• Debuts with Luzerner Sinfonieorchester
2009/2010 (Age 29–30)
• Debuts with Minnesota Orchestra, National Symphony, Dallas Symphony, and Detroit Symphony
2010 (Age 31)
• Appointed Chief Conductor of Luzerner Sinfonieorchester
2011/2012 (Age 31)
• Appointed Principal Guest Conductor of Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra
• Debuts with Houston Grand Opera, also his American operatic debut
2012/2013 (Age 32)
• Debuts with Vienna State Opera, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony, and Seoul Philharmonic
• Debuts with Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin and BBC Symphony
2013 (Age 34)
• Appointed Principal Guest Conductor of Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne
• Debuts with London Symphony Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker, Orchestre de Paris, and Dresden Philharmonic
2014/2015 (Age 35)
• Debuts with Hamburg Opera and Norwegian Opera
• Leads world premiere of Norman Andrew’s Split with Jeffrey Kahane and New York Philharmonic
• Releases album of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 and Prokofiev Piano Concerto No 2 with Kirill Gerstein and Deutches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
2015/2016 (Age 36)
• Debuts with New York Philharmonic and Bayerische Staatsoper München
• Leads world premiere of Wynton Marsalis’ Violin Concerto in D with Nicola Benedetti and the London Symphony
• Leads world premiere of Bruce Broughton’s Fanfare for Horns with Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl
2016 (Age 37)
• Debuts with Washington National Opera and Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra
• Leads world premiere of Sean Shepherd’s Five Hallucinations for Trombone and Orchestra with Michael Mulcahy and Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• Leads world premiere of John Adams’s Tromba lontana with Dallas Symphony
2017 (Age 38)
• Debuts with Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
• Leads world premiere of Geoffery Gordon’s Trumpet Concerto with Guido Segers and Munich Philharmonic
• Releases “The Beethoven Project” album with Luzerner Sinfonieorchester and Oliver Schnyder; this album includes the complete Beethoven Piano Concertos and Overtures
• Releases “Prokofiev: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 5” album with Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra
• Releases “Brahms Violin Concerto & Sonata No. 1” album with Vadim Gluzman and Luzerner Sinfonieorchester
2018 (Age 39)
• Debuts with The Metropolitan Opera
• Debuts with Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
• Leads world premiere of Camryn Cowan’s Harlem Shake with New York Philharmonic
• Leads world premiere of Enrico Chapela’s Radioaxial with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
2019 (Age 40)
• Leads world premiere of Laura Karpman’s All American with Los Angeles Philharmonic at Hollywood Bowl
2020 (Age 41)
• Debuts with Trondheim Symphony Orchestra
• Signs with Primo Artists for North/South American Management
2021 (Age 42)
• Finishes ten-year tenure as Chief Conductor of Luzerner Sinfonieorchester
• Named Principal Guest Conductor of Trondheim Symphony Orchestra
• Debuts with Komische Oper Berlin
• Appointed Music Director of Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía
• Releases “Americans” album with Luzerner Sinfonieorchester and Paul Jacobs
• Releases “Beethoven & Schnittke” album with Luzerner Sinfonieorchester and Vadim Gluzman
2022 (Age 43)
• Debuts with Opéra National de Paris
• Appointed General Music Director of Komische Oper Berlin
• Leads world premiere of Peter Eötvös’ RESPOND with Berlin State Opera
2023 (Age 44)
• Completes final season as Principal Guest Conductor of Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and Trondheim Symphony Orchestra
• Returns to Met Opera, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, and Orchestre de Paris
• Leads world premiere of Sven Daigger’s schwärmen in V Formationen für Orchester with Komische Oper Berlin Orchestra (2023)
2024 (Age 45)
• Debuts with Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood
• Returns to Chicago Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony, and Verbier Festival
• Komische Opera Berlin named “Opera House of the Year” under Gaffigan’s leadership
• Receives Amics de l’Ópera award at Les Arts Valencia
2025 (Age 46)
• Completes final season as Music Director of Les Arts Valencia
• Leads production of Mahler 8 with Orchester der Komischen Oper Berlin, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Chorsolisten der Komischen Oper Berlin, Children’s Choir of the Komische Oper, Rundfunkchor Berlin, Vocalconsort Berlin, and a distinguished solo cast: sopranos Christina Nilsson, Penny Sofroniadou, Elisa Maayeshi; mezzos Karolina Gumos and Rachael Wilson; tenor Andrew Staples; baritone Hubert Zapiór; and bass Andreas Bauer Kanabas at Tempelhof Airport
• Begins third season as General Music Director of Komische Oper Berlin, leading new productions of Salome and Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk
• Debuts at NDR Elbphilharmonie
• Returns to Los Angeles Philharmonic, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, San Francisco Symphony, Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, Chicago Symphony, and Santa Fe Opera
• Leads Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana at Enescu Festival in Romania
• Returns to Houston Grand Opera to conduct the Concert of Arias and Porgy and Bess; accepts position as company’s new Music Director