About this Artist
Gustavo Gimeno is the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director, a title he has held since the 2020/21 season and extended through 2029/30. He has been Music Director of the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg since 2015/16 and steps down at the end of the 2024/25 season—his 10th with the orchestra. He is also Music Director Designate of Teatro Real, a role he will assume in the 2025/26 season.
During the 2024/25 season, Gimeno and the Toronto Symphony continue their exploration of major symphonic works, including Sibelius’ Symphony No. 1, Bruckner’s Symphony No. 1, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6. Gimeno shares the stage with 2024/25 TSO Spotlight Artists Jan Lisiecki and Anna Prohaska and other guests such as Yuja Wang, Renaud Capuçon, Víkingur Ólafsson, Behzod Abduraimov, and Beatrice Rana.
In Gimeno’s final year as Music Director with the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, programs include Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 3, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 15, Bruckner’s Symphony No. 6, and a new percussion concerto by Sauli Zinovjev featuring Vivi Vassileva. He also tours with the orchestra to Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, and Vienna. Throughout his tenure, Gimeno and the orchestra have visited many of the most prestigious concert halls in Europe, South Korea, and South America and shared the stage with soloists including Daniel Barenboim, Gautier Capuçon, Anja Harteros, Leonidas Kavakos, Bryn Terfel, and Martin Grubinger. A highlight has been performances of the complete Beethoven piano concertos with Krystian Zimerman.
As Music Director Designate of Teatro Real, Gimeno conducts a new production of Eugene Onegin this season as well as concerts with Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid, celebrating its 120th year.
Gimeno is much sought-after as a symphonic guest conductor worldwide. In 2024/25 he appears with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Münchner Philharmoniker. Highlights of past seasons include the Berliner Philharmoniker, Münchner Philharmoniker, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Washington’s National Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, and Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. He has conducted major operas at great houses such as the Liceu Opera Barcelona, Opernhaus Zürich, and Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia.
Building on his relationship with Harmonia Mundi, Gimeno and TSO released their first album, featuring Messiaen’s Turangalîla-symphonie, in February 2024, to critical acclaim. Other repertoire recorded for the label include Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Puccini’s Messa di Gloria, and Stravinsky’s ballets The Firebird and Apollon musagète with Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg.
Gimeno and the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg have an extensive discography with Pentatone. Releases include an Henri Dutilleux album with cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras, a Francisco Coll monograph featuring his Violin Concerto with Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 1 and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 1, Ravel’s complete ballet Daphnis et Chloé, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Rossini’s Petite Messe solennelle, and César Franck’s Symphony in D minor.