Gemma New (born 27 December 1986) is a New Zealand-born conductor. In 2022 she was appointed principal conductor of the

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Wellington, New Zealand. The national orchestra of New Zealand, the NZSO is an autonomous Crown entity owned by the Government of New Zealand, per the New Zealand Sympho ...

, becoming the first woman to hold the position in the orchestra's 75-year history.

Biography

Born into a musical family, New began violin studies at age 5, and piano lessons at age 8. By age 12, she was playing in a youth orchestra in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

. As a teenager, she conducted the Christchurch Youth Orchestra. New attended

Samuel Marsden Collegiate School Samuel Marsden Collegiate School is a private composite girls school located in the Wellington suburb of Karori in New Zealand. It has a socio-economic decile of 10 - on a scale from 1 to 10, 1 reflecting the lowest socioeconomic communities - ...

, in

Karori Karori is a suburb located at the western edge of the urban area of Wellington, New Zealand, 4 km from the city centre and is one of New Zealand's most populous suburbs, with a population of in History Origins The name ''Karori'' used ...

, from 1991 to 2004. New read physics, mathematics, and music at the

University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was ...

, from which she graduated with a degree in music. She later earned a graduate degree in music from

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Peabody Institute The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University is a private conservatory and preparatory school in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded in 1857 and opened in 1866 by merchant/financier and philanthropist George Peabody (1795–1869) ...

. New founded and directed the Maryland music collective Lunar Ensemble, with which she has premiered 26 compositions. New was assistant conductor of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra from 2011 to 2016. In the 2014–2015 season, she was a Dudamel Conducting Fellow with the

Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra The Los Angeles Philharmonic, commonly referred to as the LA Phil, is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at th ...

. For 2014, she was a Kurt Masur conducting fellow. In May 2015, the

Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra (HPO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Hamilton, Ontario. The orchestra gives concerts primarily at the FirstOntario Concert Hall. History The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1949. Its first co ...

(HPO) named New as its next music director, the first female conductor ever named to the post. This appointment marked New's first music directorship. Her first performance in the post was in February 2016. In May 2017, the HPO extended New's contract as music director through the 2020–2021 season. In November 2020, the HPO announced a further extension of New's contract as music director through the 2023–2024 season. In June 2016, New was appointed resident conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) and music director of the

Saint Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra The St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra (SLSYO) is an American orchestra for musicians between the ages of 12 and 22, and is the young people's version of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO). The SLSYO performs three concerts a year at Powell ...

. In September 2018, New directed the opening concerts of the SLSO's 2018–2019 season, the first female conductor ever to do so. She stood down from her St. Louis posts at the close of the 2019–2020 season. In October 2018, the

Dallas Symphony Orchestra The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Dallas, Texas. Its principal performing venue is the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District of downtown Dallas. History The orchestra traces its origins to a ...

announced the appointment of New as its next principal guest conductor, the first female conductor to hold the title, effective with the 2019–2020 season. She was reappointed to this position for the 2022–2023 season. The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra appointed her as their artistic adviser and principal conductor in 2022, the first woman to hold this position.

Awards

In March 2021, the Solti Foundation U.S. announced New as the 12th recipient of The Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award.

References

External links

Official website of Gemma New
{{DEFAULTSORT:New, Gemma Living people 1986 births New Zealand conductors (music) Women conductors (music) University of Canterbury alumni Peabody Institute alumni People from Wellington City 21st-century conductors (music) 21st-century New Zealand musicians 21st-century women musicians New Zealand emigrants to the United States New Zealand Symphony Orchestra people