In Wednesday’s (3/10) Seattle Times, Tom Keogh writes, “ ‘I’ve slept in my bed maybe 25 times this year,’ says James Gaffigan, a much-in-demand guest conductor whose touring schedule has accelerated since ending his positions as associate conductor of the San Francisco Symphony and assistant conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra. Gaffigan debuts as a guest conductor with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra on Thursday, leading a reduced ensemble and guest pianist Ingrid Fliter in a program of Haydn and Mozart at Benaroya Hall. (The show repeats on Saturday.) … Buzz has been building around Gaffigan, 30, since 2004, when he won the Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition in Frankfurt, Germany. … In January of this year, he was named chief conductor of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra and principal guest conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, both appointments effective next year. … Gaffigan is one of a number of guest conductors at Seattle Symphony Orchestra under probable consideration to replace Gerard Schwarz as music director when the latter steps down at the end of next season.”
Posted March 11, 2010
