FabienGabel

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  • Conductor

About Fabien

Chief Conductor: Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich

Fabien Gabel is Chief Conductor of the Tonkünstler-Orchester, Niederösterreich. He has established an international career of the highest calibre, appearing with orchestras such as Orchestre de Paris, London Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, The Cleveland Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Seoul Philharmonic and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Praised for his dynamic style and sensitive approach to the score, he is best known for his eclectic choice of repertoire, ranging from core symphonic works to new music to championing lesser-known composers of the 19th and the 20th century.

In the 2026–27 season, Gabel returns to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Danish National Symphony Orchestra , Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and makes debuts with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Dresden Philharmonic. Following his celebrated debut at The Metropolitan Opera (Carmen), Gabel returns to Opéra national de Paris in June and July 2027 for Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette.

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Contact

For availability and general enquiries:

Edward Pascall

Edward Pascall

Associate Director

Logistics, contracts, press and marketing:

Fiona Russell

Fiona Russell

Head of Artist Services, Conductors & Instrumentalists

Representation

Management for Europe and Asia with Askonas Holt

General manager:
USA and Australia/NZ: Opus 3 Artists, Tom Cunningham

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Season Highlights

Sep 2026
Musikverein Wien
Debussy: Suite from Pelleas et Melisande Ravel: Shéhérazade Mahler: Das klegende Lied Elsa Benoit ( soprano) Sasha Cooke ( mezzo) Maximilian Schmitt ( tenor) Wiener Singverein Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich
Nov 2026
Davies Symphony Hall
d'Indy: Istar Ravel: Shéhérazade R Strauss: Symphonic Fantasy: Die Frau ohne Schatten Isabel Leonard, mezzo San Francisco Symphony
Nov 2026
Berliner Philharmonie
Bruch: Violin Concerto Bacewicz: Polish Rhapsody Roussel: Suite No. 2 from Bacchus et Ariane Ravel: Daphnis et Chloe Suite no. 2 Deutsches Symphonie-orchester Berlin Bomsori Kim ( violin)
Dec 2026
Kulturpalast Dresden
Mussorgsky arr. Rimsky-Korsakov: Prelude to Khovanshchina Glass: Concerto for two pianos and orchestra Tchaikovsky: Symphony no. 6 in B minor Katia & Marielle Labeque ( pianos) Dresdner Philharmonie
Dec 2026
Auditorium de Radio France
Ravel: Rhapsodie espagnole de Falla: Nights in the garden of Spain Ravel: Bolero Aubert: Habanera Javier Perianes ( piano) Orchestra National de Radio France
Jan 2027
DR Koncerthuset Copenhagen
R Strauss: Suite from Der Rosenkavalier Mahler: Ruckert-lieder Berlioz: La Mort de Cleopatre Ravel: Bolero Joyce DiDonato ( mezzo) Danish National Symphony Orchestra
Feb 2027
Symphony Center Chicago
Mussorgsky arr. Rimsky-Korsakov: Prelude to Khovanshchina Khachaturian: Piano Concerto Zemlinsky: Die Seejungfrau Jean-Yves Thibaudet ( piano) Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Jun 2027
Opera National de Paris
Gounod: Romeo et Juliette Amina Edris / Nadine Sierra ( Juliette) Pene Pati / Juan Diego Florez ( Romeo) Seray Pinar / Maria Warenberg ( Stephano)

Video

Photos

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News

Press

  • Aspen Festival

    Jul 2025

    • From start to finish, the Aspen Festival Orchestra program was by far the best this season in the Klein Music Tent. Huge credit to Gabel for that. A one-time student here and now the music director of Lower Austria’s Tonkünstler Orchestra, he coaxed magnificent playing in works by Ravel and Richard Strauss. Whether it was finding ideal balances within the orchestra in the big, expressive moments, allowing all the layers of sound enough room to breathe or setting ideal paces to keep momentum in every piece on the program, the results were thrilling.

  • City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

    Symphony Hall

    • In the Mozart, Gabel struck a clear balance between playful, grandiose and elegant, swinging wildly through the assorted stylistic volte-faces that make up this strange but irresistible music. This was especially effective in the central Passepied, with tilting light and shade as its tonality shifted between major and minor.

  • Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal

    Maison Symphonique
    May 2024

    • His interpretations dig much deeper than just the surface gloss, and under his leadership the Montreal players responded with excitement and ardor, delivering thrilling performances that will stay long in the memory.

  • Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Debut

    Orchestra Hall
    Apr 2023

    • Gabel’s leadership was fluent and efficient, the musical result as eloquent and nuanced as it was brilliant. The music’s piquant and charming subtleties were manifestly at the tip of his baton from start to finish. Stravinsky’s brash brasses, buzzing strings and bubbly winds were measured and proportioned and contoured with unerring conviction and purpose.

    • The French conductor directed a boldly projected performance ... with committed playing across all sections that made the tale of the doomed title puppet spring vividly to life. Gabel’s incisive direction consistently brought out the drama and Stravinsky’s kaleidoscopic scoring and harmonic audacity. Everything registered with maximum impact: Petrushka’s desperate alienation and hopeless love for the Ballerina—good piano work from John Wilson on a problematic instrument—the malign brutishness of the Moor, the return to the fairgrounds and the final scene, chase and Petrushka’s death. Not only was coordination airtight throughout, but the responsive, firmly pointed orchestral playing sealed the performance. ...in this all-Russian program, Gabel was relaxed, confident and fully in command from the jump Thursday night in an impressive local debut.

Discography