About:
Facts
Fact Sheet
1996-2009
1996-2009
1996
- Named Music Director of the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra in Caracas, Venezuela.
- Begins studying conducting in Venezuela with Rodolfo Saglimbeni.
1999
- Continues his conducting studies with José Antonio Abreu and is appointed Music Director of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela.
2000
- Tours Germany with the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, including a performance at Berlin's Philharmonie.
2004
- Wins the inaugural Bamberger Symphoniker Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition.
- Conducts the Mahler Chamber Orchestra in Caracas.
2005
- Debuts with Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Proms with Gothenburg Symphony, Rome's Orchestra Sinfonica dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia, UBS Verbier,Festival Orchestra in Switzerland, Camerata Salzburg, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic,Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and London Philharmonia at Royal,Festival Hall and at the Aldeburgh Festival.
- Signs exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon.
- US debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl.
- Tours Germany with the SBYO.
- Inaugurates "The Inter-American Center for Social Action through Music" in Caracas.
2006/07
- Appointed Principal Conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra on April 12, 2006 (effective 2007/08; title changed to Music Director in 2007).
- Debuts with La Scala (Don Giovanni June 11, 2006), Berlin Staatsoper (L'elisir d'amore April 21, 2007), the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (2006), Gulbenkian Foundation (2006), Dresden Staatskapelle (2006), Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (2006), Frankfurt Radio Symphony (2006), Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala (2006), Gürzenich Orchestra of Cologne (2006), Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (2007), Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (2007), Vienna Symphony Orchestra (2007), Boston Symphony (at Tanglewood Festival 2006) and Chicago Symphony Orchestra(April 2007).
- Performs with Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Gothenburg Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic (January 2007).
- Tour with SBYO in Italy and Germany.
- Tour in Israel with Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
- Release of first DG album in fall 2006: Beethoven, Symphonies Nos. 5&7, with the SBYO.
- Debut at Lucerne Festival Easter with the SBYO (2007).
- Named Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra on April 9, 2007 (effective 2009/10).
2007/08
- Release of second DG album in fall 2007: Mahler, Symphony No. 5, with the SBYO.
- Debuts with the Vienna Philharmonic at Lucerne Festival (September 2007), Berlin Staatskapelle (2007), Berlin Philharmonic (June 2008), New York Philharmonic (November 2007) and San Francisco Symphony (2008).
- Four-city North American tour with the SBYO (November 2007), with performances in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Boston.
- Release of third DG album in spring 2008: FIESTA with SBYO.
- Performs with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, Berlin Staatsoper (La Bohème 2008), Los Angeles Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and Gothenburg Symphony.
2008/09
- Debut with Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra plus tour (2009).
- Nine-city tour with Gothenburg Symphony in Germany and Spain.
- Tour with Israel Philharmonic, with performances in Israel, New York, New Jersey, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles.
- SBYO tours Asia, US and Europe.
- UK tour with Philharmonia Orchestra.
- Release of fourth DG album in March 2009: Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 5; Francesca da Rimini, with the SBYO.
- Performs with Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony, Gulbenkian Orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin, Berlin Philharmonic, Berlin Staatsoper (Don Giovanni 2009), Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
Awards and
Honors
Honors
2007/08
- Awarded the Premio de la Latindad an honor given for outstanding contributions to Latin cultural life, presented by the 37 Latin American and African member states of the Union Latina organization. (May 2007), and 2007 Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award for Young Artists.
2008/09
- Awarded the 2008 Classical Elites Beijing (Orchestral Concert of the Year and Conductor of the Year), 2008 Q Prize from Harvard University for extraordinary service to children, 2009 Classical Brit Award (Male Artist of the Year), and 2009 Saeculum Glashutte Original Music Festival Prize (Dresden Music Festival), and in June 2009 recieved an honorary doctorate from the Universidad Centro-Occidental Lisandro Alvarado in his hometown of Barquisimeto, Venezuela.
2009/10
- Awarded the City of Toronto Glenn Gould Protégé Prize to be presented in Toronto, Canada on October 26, Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in Paris, France.
Media
Distinctions
Distinctions
2007/08
- 60 Minutes profile "Gustavo The Great" (February 17, 2008), 60 Minutes profile "El Sistema"(April 13, 2008 and July 16, 2008).
2008/09
- Time Magazine "The Time 100: The World's Most Influential People" (May 11, 2009).
