Conductor Gemma New is poised for a landmark 2025-2026 season, a period that will see her solidify her position on the global stage through a series of major debuts, high-profile return engagements, and a deepened commitment to her role with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO). Now entering her fifth season as the orchestra’s Artistic Advisor and Principal Conductor, her leadership has been affirmed with a contract extension to continue as Artistic Partner from 2027 through 2029, providing a stable foundation for her expanding international activities.
Her artistic leadership in New Zealand will be showcased through several formidable symphonic programs. She will take the podium to lead the NZSO in interpretations of Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7. A central highlight of her tenure will be the world premiere of Conversation of the Light-ship and the Tide, a new work by composer Tabea Squire commissioned by the orchestra, underscoring a commitment to the creation of new repertoire. These performances will be augmented by collaborations with esteemed soloists, including saxophonist Jess Gillam and mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato.
The season marks a significant expansion of New’s global presence with an impressive schedule of inaugural appearances. She will make her debut with a host of leading European and Asian ensembles, including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, SWR Symphonieorchester, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Belgian National Orchestra, and the KBS Symphony Orchestra in South Korea. In the United States, she will make her first appearances with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Nashville Symphony Orchestra. A pivotal moment in her career will be her operatic debut at the Houston Grand Opera, where she will conduct a new production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville.
Alongside these debuts, New will revisit numerous orchestras in North America and Europe, a testament to her established rapport with international ensembles. Her North American schedule includes return engagements with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra. In Europe, she will once again lead 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 the Bochumer Symphoniker.
A defining characteristic of New’s artistic vision is her dedication to contemporary music, which is woven throughout the season’s programming. She will conduct the U.K. premiere of Gabriella Smith’s Lost Coast and the world premiere of Carme Fernández Vidal’s Se sueña que se está soñando with the Orquesta Nacional de España. Her advocacy for the music of John Adams is evident in planned performances of his Saxophone Concerto, Century Rolls, and Short Ride in a Fast Machine. Further demonstrating this commitment, she will lead a large-scale production of Julia Wolfe’s powerful work, Fire in My Mouth, with the Belgian National Orchestra and its extensive choral forces.
The season’s engagements commence in the summer of 2025, following her debut at the Santa Fe Opera with Britten’s The Turn of the Screw. A detailed calendar of performances follows.
2025-2026 Season Calendar
- August 14, 2025: Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles, CA
- September 5-6, 2025: New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Wellington & Auckland, NZ
- September 19, 2025: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta, GA
- September 25, 2025: KBS Symphony Orchestra, Seoul, South Korea
- October 1, 2025: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham, UK
- October 11, 2025: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Manchester, UK
- October 17-18, 2025: San Diego Symphony, San Diego, CA
- October 23-24, 2025: Seattle Symphony, Seattle, WA
- November 7-9, 2025: National Orchestra of Spain, Madrid, Spain
- November 20-29, 2025: New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Wellington, Christchurch & Auckland, NZ
- January 9-10, 2026: Nashville Symphony, Nashville, TN
- January 18, 2026: Münchner Rundfunkorchester, Munich, Germany
- January 22-27, 2026: Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Tel Aviv & Haifa, Israel
- January 31, 2026: BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Cardiff, UK
- February 5 & 8, 2026: BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Glasgow & Edinburgh, UK
- February 20-21, 2026: Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, Spain
- February 27, 2026: Belgian National Orchestra, Belgium
- March 5-6, 2026: SWR Symphonieorchester, Stuttgart, Germany
- March 12-13, 2026: Bochumer Symphoniker, Bochum, Germany
- March 18-19, 2026: National Arts Centre Orchestra, Ottawa, Canada
- April 24 – May 10, 2026: Houston Grand Opera, Houston, TX
- May 29 & 31, 2026: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh, PA
