"Few RPO guest conductors generate excitement quite like Fabien Gabel. The Quebec City Orchestra music director has become a Rochester favorite since his 2014 debut."
In 2002, Juliana Athayde and Fabien Gabel were both in the Aspen Summer Music Festival. Fifteen years later, they'll take the stage together--he as guest conductor of your Rochester Philharmonic, and she as soloist in Bartok's Violin Concerto No. 2. Together, they chatted with WXXI Music Director Julia Figueras about the magic of Debussy, the earthiness of Bartok, and what took Juliana so long to get to that concerto.
"every move was compact, instantly communicative...The conductor must be able to both lead and follow, a rare skill indeed."
"Gabel was in his element here, eliciting highly expressive playing from the orchestra...This enormously talented conductor is worth a second look."
Fabien Gabel has many reasons why he enjoys coming back to Houston – an affection for Mexican food, a chance to see an old high school friend, and another opportunity to collaborate with the Houston Symphony.
”It is a particular pleasure to see an artist evolve harmoniously: every opportunity we have to hear the French Fabien Gabel - 39 years old, musical director of the Quebec Symphony Orchestra since 2012, former assistant to Kurt Masur at the National Orchestra of France - illustrates this feeling.”