Fabien Gabel, a renowned conductor from France, has been appointed as the Chief Conductor of Vienna's Tonkünstler Orchestra, starting from the beginning of the 2025/26 season. He will serve in this position for an initial period of four years, taking over from the current conductor, Yutaka Sado, who has been leading the orchestra since 2015.
Gabel's responsibilities will include directing five major concerts per season, as well as conducting subscription concerts in Vienna and Lower Austria. Additionally, he will contribute to the management of the orchestra's educational and community outreach programs.
Originally from Paris, Fabien Gabel pursued his studies in trumpet performance at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris and the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe. He gained valuable experience by performing with various orchestras in Paris.
Gabel's career as a conductor took off when he won the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition in 2004. He then served as an Assistant Conductor at the London Symphony Orchestra from 2004 to 2006. Furthermore, Gabel has held the position of Music Director for the Orchestre symphonique de Québec and the Orchestre Français des Jeunes.
Frank Druschel, the Executive Director of the Tonkünstler Orchestra, expressed his satisfaction with securing the services of Fabien Gabel as the Music Director. Druschel believes that Gabel will contribute to the orchestra's artistic growth and development, not only by maintaining their existing repertoire but also by introducing new programming focuses.
Fabien Gabel spoke of his deep connection to Austrian music culture, emphasizing how it influenced him during his formative years as a trumpet player and continues to inspire him as a conductor. He expressed his excitement about his debut with the Tonkünstler Orchestra in 2019, where he felt a strong artistic connection with the musicians, particularly during their performance of Korngold's Sinfonietta. The orchestra was able to deliver the exact sound he envisioned for the piece.
