Hailed as a refined and eclectic interpreter, Michele made his debut at the Covent Garden Linbury Theatre, conducting Mozart’s Bastien und Bastienne and a staged version of Berio’s Folk Songs. He then appeared at the Staatsoper Berlin for a new production of Le nozze di Figaro directed by Jürgen Flimm, enjoying great success from audience and critics alike.

After working as an assistant with Antonio Pappano and Daniel Barenboim, he was invited to conduct for several important theaters and orchestras throughout Europe. Since his debut at Milan Teatro alla Scala with I due Foscari in 2016, he has developed a strong collaboration with the house, which led him to conduct the world premiere of Madina by Fabio Vacchi, the Opening Gala “A riveder le stelle” in 2020, L’elisir d’amore, Le nozze di Figaro and a new production of Rigoletto staged by renowned Italian director Mario Martone.

At the Dresden Semperoper he conducted Die Zauberflöte for the reopening of the theatre after the pandemic. Other recent engagements have seen him regularly conducting in such venues as: Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (for several symphonic concerts and a new production of Linda di Chamounix), Hamburg State Opera (Le nozze di Figaro), Stuttgart (La bohème and La sonnambula), Opéra du Rhin in Strasbourg (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse (Macbeth), Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv (Idomeneo and a new production of Le Nozze di Figaro directed by David Pountney). He has also conducted Rigoletto at the Rome Opera and at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, Aida at the Teatro Regio in Turin, Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Savonlinna Festival, La Traviata in Lisbon and Porto, Andrea Chénier in Bari, Norma in Macerata, Turandot and the double-bill Il tabarro / Bluebeard’s Castle at the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago. He opened the Washington National Opera season with Il trovatore and had his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York with L’elisir d’amore and a concert with the Metropolitan Orchestra, gaining important recognition from the international critic. Recently he conducted a new production of Cherubini’s Médée at the Teatro La Scala in Milan.

Particularly active in the symphonic repertoire and with a deep interest for new music, Michele has often conducted orchestras and ensembles such as the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Duisburger Philharmoniker, Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, Divertimento Ensemble, Slovenian Philharmonic. He opened the 2019 edition of Milano Musica Festival and closed the 2021 series, conducting a broad variety of new works by composers like Francesconi, Saunders, Vacchi, Reich, Adès, Poppe, especially commissioned for these concerts, offering programmes inspired by cultural curiosity and refinement, pairing great contemporary authors with classics of the 20th century Avantgarde, such as Boulez, Zimmermann and Xenakis.

An accomplished pianist, performing at the piano remains an important part of his artistry, leading him to collaborate with many chamber music partners at Munich Gasteig, London Wigmore Hall, Berlin Philharmonie. Out now is the brand new cd “Correspondences”, which offers, together with cellist Martina Rudić, fascinating parallels between Bach, Berio and Boulez.

Future engagements include: a revival of Vacchi’s Madina at La Scala, Orfeo ed Euridice at the Israeli Opera, the Puccini celebrations with the Rai National Symphony Orchestra, symphonic concerts with the Milan Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto and a new project for Milano Musica, in collaboration with IRCAM.

Michele Gamba was born in Milan, where he completed his musical studies at “G. Verdi” Conservatoire and read Philosophy at Milan State University, with a dissertation on Hannah Arendt. He subsequently attended piano masterclasses with Maria Tipo at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, studied chamber music at the Royal Academy in London and orchestral conducting at Accademia Chigiana di Siena and Vienna Musikhochschule.

January 2024