American conductor James Gaffigan has been the regular guest conductor of the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra since 2011. Gaffigan's contract with the orchestra has been extended until the 2022/23 season.

James Gaffigan is considered one of the most outstanding American conductors of the moment. He has attracted international attention, both as a conductor of symphonic concerts and of opera.
He was recently appointed music director of Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, as well as first guest conductor of the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra & Opera and music director of the Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra. In June 2021, Gaffigan ended his tenure as principal conductor of the Lucerne Sinfonieorchester. As of the 2023/24 season, Gaffigan has been appointed chief conductor of the Komische Oper Berlin for a period of four years.

Gaffigan regularly works with leading orchestras and opera companies in North America, Europe and Asia. He has conducted the orchestras of New York, Cleveland, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto and Montreal, among others. He has also appeared at the Metropolitan Opera, the Bavarian and Vienna State Opera, the Zurich Opera, the Staatsoper Hamburg, the National Opera, Glyndebourne Festival, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Santa Fe Opera.

For the coming seasons, performances are planned with the Bayerische Staatsoper, Komische Opera Berlin, Opéra National de Paris, Orchestre National de France, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and Atlanta Symphony, among others.

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