Conductor Fabien Gabel’s 2019-20 season continues to establish him as one of today’s fastest-rising international conductors, with five conducting debuts around the world, including his highly-anticipated debut with the San Francisco Symphony.
The season begins with a tour around France with the Orchestre Français des Jeunes, where Gabel continues to inspire a new generation of young performers as Music Director for a third season.
Returning for his eighth season as the Music Director of Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, Gabel will conduct the music of Richard Wagner with mezzo-soprano Petra Lang in the opening night program. The Orchestre Symphonique de Québec’s season features lesser-known works by French composers Chausson, Ravel, Duparc, Dutilleux, Aubert, Schmitt, Rebel, Tomasi, Poulenc, and more.
Gabel continues to lead major orchestras across North America, making his San Francisco Symphony debut on February 14 conducting Dukas, Saint-Saëns, and the US premiere of Aaron Zigman’s Tango Manos, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and making his Utah Symphony debut on March 6 leading works by Ravel, Aubert, Debussy, Andrew Norman, and Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole with violinist Benjamin Beilman. He also returns this season to lead the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, where he conducts music by Richard Dubugnon, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, and Dvořák’s Violin Concerto with Augustin Hadelich, May 22–23.
His European engagements feature debuts with the Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien and Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, as well as welcome returns to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, engagements with the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse with violinist Michael Barenboim and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France featuring flautist Emmanuel Pahud.
In Australia, Gabel makes his debut with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra on October 3, conducting works by Florent Schmitt, Berlioz, and James Ledger’s Viola Concerto with violist Brett Dean.
Highlights from Gabel’s 2018-2019 season included debuts with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Tonkünstler Orchester, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Warsaw Philharmonic, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and Tasmania Symphony, and returns to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony Orchestra, and Milwaukee Symphony.
2019-20 Season Dates
August 31, September 5, 6, 7 & 8, 2019
Orchestre Français des Jeunes Tour
Includes performances in Annecy, St Jean de Luz, Lille, Laon, and Paris
September 18 & 19, 2019
Orchestre Symphonique de Québec
Performs Wagner with mezzo-soprano Petra Lang
October 3–5, 2019
West Australian Symphony Orchestra
Performs Schmitt, Berlioz, and James Ledger
Brett Dean, viola
October 24, 2019
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Performs Wagner, Bruch, and Bruckner
Simone Lamsma, violin
October 30, 2019
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France
Performs Debussy, Manoury, and Ravel
Emmanuel Pahud, flute
November 15-17, 2019
Houston Symphony Orchestra
Performs Beethoven and Brahms
Emanuel Ax, piano
November 24, 2019
Orchestre Symphonique de Québec
Performs Beethoven and Richard Dubugnon
Valeriy Sokolov, violin
November 29, December 1 & 3, 2019
Orchestre Français des Jeunes
Performs Humperdinck, Ravel, Lehar, Strauss II, and Stravinsky
Michael Schade, tenor
December 10, 2019
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Program TBA
January 16 & 18, 2020
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
Performs Beethoven, Poulenc, and Prokofiev
Juho Pohjonen, piano
January 22 & 23, 2020
Orchestre Symphonique de Québec
Performs Rebel, Tomasi, and Stravinsky
With Håkan Hardenberger, trumpet and Les Violons du Roy
January 29, 2020
Orchestre Symphonique de Québec
Performs Duparc, Chausson, Dutilleux, Ravel, and Roussel
February 14–16, 2020
San Francisco Symphony
Performs Dukas, Saint-Saëns, and Aaron Zigman
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano
February 29, 2020
Orchestre Symphonique de Québec
Performs Bartók and Brahms
Nareh Arghamanyan, piano
March 6 & 7, 2020
Utah Symphony Orchestra
Performs Andrew Norman, Lalo, Ravel, Aubert, and Debussy
Benjamin Beilman, violin
March 15, 2020
Lucerne Symphony Orchestra
Performs Mozart and Beethoven
Oliver Schnyder, piano; Regula Mühlemann, soprano
March 29, 2020
Orchestre Symphonique de Québec
Performs Bilodeau and Beethoven
Louis Lortie, piano
April 10 & 11, 2020
Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse
Performs Dukas, Dutilleux, Roussel, and Ravel
Michael Barenboim, violin
April 24–26, 2020
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Performs Strauss II, Mozart, and Korngold
Alexandra Dariescu, piano
April 30, 2020
Orchestre Symphonique de Québec
Performs Thuille, Elgar, and Mozart
Blair Lofgren, cello
May 15 & 17, 2020
Houston Symphony Orchestra
Performs Beethoven and Jimmy López
Alexandra Dariescu, piano; Ana María Martínez, soprano; Damon Gupton, narrator
May 22 & 23, 2020
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Performs Richard Dubugnon, Dvořák, and Beethoven
Augustin Hadelich, violin
May 27, 2020
Orchestre Symphonique de Québec
Performs Aubert, Schmitt, Debussy, Poulenc, Duparc, and Ravel
June 14, 2020
Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien | Konzerthaus Wien
Performs Berlioz, Ravel, Roussel, and Dalbavie
Philippe Jaroussky, countertenor