Conductor Gemma New Announces 2025-2026 Season Highlights
Fifth Season as Artistic Advisor and Principal Conductor of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, with Contract to Continue as Artistic Partner
Debuts With City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, SWR Symphonieorchester,
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Belgian National Orchestra, KBS Symphony Orchestra,
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Symphony Orchestra,
and Houston Grand Opera
North American Return Engagements with the Los Angeles Philharmonic,
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, San Diego Symphony,
and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa
European Returns to the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, BBC, Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Nacional de España, Orquesta, Sinfónica de Castilla y León, Münchner Rundfunkorchester, and Bochumer Symphoniker
Photo credit: Benjamin Ealovega
New York, NY (August 4, 2025) – Praised for her “programming prowess” (Vancouver Sun), conductor Gemma New is a rising star with a “unique sensitivity and a heightened attention to detail and texture” (The Washington Post). In 2026, New enters her fifth season as Artistic Advisor and Principal Conductor of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra – where she recently secured a three-year contract extension to continue in the new role of Artistic Partner from 2027 to 2029. In addition to NZSO engagements throughout 2025-2026, New embarks on a global season of guest engagements with leading orchestras worldwide.
In the capstone to her summer 2025 schedule, New returns to the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl on August 14, 2025, conducting a program of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio espagnol, Arutiunian’s Trumpet Concerto featuring soloist Pacho Flores, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 in F minor. Earlier in the summer, New made her debut with the Santa Fe Opera in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, as well as returns to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, and the Bergen Philharmonic in Norway, where she led the orchestra at the Festspillene i Bergen (Bergen International Festival).
As the season gets underway, New takes on debuts with South Korea’s KBS Symphony Orchestra, as well as the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Belgian National Orchestra, SWR Symphonieorchester, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, and Houston Grand Opera, where she leads a production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. North American return engagements bring her to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. In the UK and Europe, she returns to the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Nacional de España, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, Münchner Rundfunkorchester, and Bochumer Symphoniker.
As Artistic Advisor and Principal Conductor of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, New conducts a string of fall 2025 performances in Wellington, Christchurch, and Auckland. On September 5, 2025 at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington and September 6, 2025 at Auckland Town Hall, she leads the NZSO in Mahler’s Symphony No. 6. She returns on November 20 and 22, 2025 for a program featuring the world premiere of Conversation of the Light-ship and the Tide, an NZSO commission by Tabea Squire, alongside Glazunov’s Saxophone Concerto with saxophonist Jess Gillam, and music by Rachmaninoff and Milhaud. On November 28 and November 29, 2025, she conducts Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 and Berlioz’s Les Nuits d'été, featuring mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato.
In North America, New returns to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on September 19, 2025, conducting Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 featuring soloist Lang Lang, as well as Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and Symphony 35, “Haffner.” On September 25, 2025, New debuts with the KBS Symphony Orchestra in Seoul, South Korea, leading a program of Bernstein’s Candide Overture, Copland’s Symphony No. 3, and the Korean premiere of John Adams’ Saxophone Concerto, again featuring soloist Jess Gillam. A second program follows on September 27, 2025 as the orchestra reprises the Bernstein and Adams works along with Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and the third movement of Copland’s Symphony No. 3.
Increasingly acclaimed across the United Kingdom, New makes her debut with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on October 1, 2025 at Symphony Hall in Birmingham, UK, in a program of Bacewicz’s Overture, Sibelius’s Violin Concerto with violinist Christian Tetzlaff, and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. On October 11, 2025, she returns to the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra for performance at Victoria Hall in Hanley, UK, featuring a program of Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Bruch’s Violin Concerto with soloist Noa Wildschut, and Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2. On October 11, 2025, she leads the orchestra at The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, UK, conducting the UK premiere of Gabriella Smith’s Lost Coast featuring cellist Gabriel Cabezas. The program also includes Bacewicz’s Overture and Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2.
New returns to North America for two concerts with the San Diego Symphony at Jacobs Music Center in San Diego, CA, on October 17 and 18, 2025. The program showcases Korngold’s Violin Concerto in D Major, featuring soloist Geneva Lewis, and two works by Mendelssohn: Overture & Nocturne from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Symphony No.4 “Italian.”
On October 23 and 24, 2025, at Benaroya Hall, she leads the Seattle Symphony in Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony, featuring soprano Wendy Bryn Harmer, baritone Jarrett Ott, and the Seattle Symphony Chorale; as well as Gabriella Smith’s Lost Coast, again featuring the Seattle Symphony’s Artist in Focus, cellist Gabriel Cabezas.
In Europe, New’s season engagements begin with three concerts with the Orquesta Nacional de España from November 7 to 9, 2025. Pianist Juan Floristan joins the orchestra for a program featuring the world premiere of Fernández Vidal’s Se sueña que se está soñando, alongside Copland’s Appalachian Spring, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol.
New’s next engagement brings her to Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, TN, on January 9 and 10, 2026, as she makes her Nashville Symphony debut conducting Beethoven's Egmont Overture, Mozart’s Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter,” and John Adams’ Century Rolls, performed by pianist Conrad Tao.
On January 18, 2026, New conducts the Münchner Rundfunkorchester in a program of works by Britten and Prokofiev, with tenor Ian Bostridge and horn player Rodrigo Ortiz Serrano featured on Britten’s Serenade op. 31.
She then makes her debut with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra across five concerts from January 22 to 27, 2026. On January 22, 2026, at the Tel Aviv Culture Center, she conducts Gershwin’s An American in Paris and Bernstein’s Serenade, featuring violin soloist Vadim Gluzman. On January 23, the orchestra reprises its performance of Bernstein’s Serenade, paired with Copland’s Appalachian Spring. On January 24 and 25, New leads a program featuring the Bernstein and Copland pieces plus an additional work, Shulamit Ran’s Chicago Skyline. The same program will be performed at Haifa Auditorium at Haifa Auditorium on January 27, 2026.
Back in the UK, New leads the BBC National Orchestra of Wales on January 31, 2026 at BBC Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff, conducting a program of Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 in D major, “Classical’; Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G minor featuring soloist Vadym Kholodenko, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 in B minor, “Pathétique.” She goes on to conduct the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in two concerts on February 5, 2026 at Glasgow City Hall and February 8, 2026, at Usher Hall in Edinburgh, UK. Both programs feature John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine, Barber’s Symphony No. 1, and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with pianist Alessio Bax.
New’s next engagement brings her to the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León on February 20 and 21, 2026, leading a program of Salina Fisher’s Rainphase, Bernstein’s Serenade with violin soloist Esther Yoo, and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade.
On February 27, 2026, she makes her debut with the Belgian National Orchestra, leading a performance of Julia Wolfe’s Fire in My Mouth. The large-scale production features performances by the Vlaams Radiokoor (Flemish Radio Choir) and the Children’s and Youth Choirs of La Monnaie, with a creative team including Anne Kauffman (set design), Jeff Sugg (light design, set concept, and video), Mark Grey (sound design), Márion Talán (costumes), and Kenny Savelson (project manager).
On March 5 and 6, 2026, New makes her SWR Symphonieorchester debut at Stuttgart Liederhalle, conducting Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 and Piazzolla’s Aconcagua, featuring bandoneonist Radu Ratoi. For the March 6 concert, the program additionally includes Barber’s Adagio for strings and Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2, featuring soloist Hana Chang.
New appears at the Bochumer Symphoniker for two concerts on March 12 and 13, 2026, spotlighting cellist Camille Thomas in Fazil Say’s Never Give Up and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, “Titan.”
She returns to Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa on March 18 and 19, 2026, to conduct Copland’s Appalachian Spring, Kelly-Marie Murphy’s A Thousand Natural Shocks, and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko.
The following month, she makes her Houston Grand Opera debut in a production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville from April 24 to May 10, 2026, featuring baritone Will Liverman in his HGO debut as Figaro; tenor Jack Swanson as Almaviva; mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack in her company debut as Rosina; baritone Alessandro Corbelli as Dr. Bartolo; and bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni as Don Basilio, with director Joan Font.
New concludes her season with her debut at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on May 29 and 31, 2026, where she is joined by violinist Stefan Jackiw for Korngold’s Violin Concerto. The program also includes Fisher’s Rainphase and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade.