Gisèle Ben-Dor

Conductor Laureate

Gisèle Ben-Dor became the orchestra’s Conductor Laureate in May 2006. She is also the Conductor Emerita of the Boston Pro-Arte Chamber Orchestra and an active guest conductor throughout the world.

Since 1994, her wide-ranging dedication to the community and the Symphony’s programs, affection for the audience, and communicative gifts, have endeared her to area residents.

Hallmarks of her tenure have been a dramatic improvement in the artistic quality of the orchestra, impressive interpretations of the mainstream repertoire as well as interesting and original programming, specially designed children’s programs, new opportunities for the orchestra such as recordings and festivals, a doubling of the orchestra’s Endowment Fund in addition to a unique Endowment for the Podium by John and Linda Hedgepeth, and increased visibility of the orchestra throughout the community.

In demand internationally, Gisèle Ben-Dor’s next seasons bring debuts with The Rotterdam Philharmonic, Bern Symphony, Cannes Symphony, and return engagements in France and Israel. She has led other major ensembles such as the New York Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic, English Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Pops, New World Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, The Hague Philharmonic, The Israeli Opera, Helsinki Philharmonic, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande at the Geneva Opera, BBC Symphony, Spanish Radio and Television, and the Houston Symphony (nationally broadcast presidential inauguration at the Kennedy Center). She has led numerous other orchestras in the United States, Europe, Australia, and Latin America.

In Santa Barbara, highlights of her past season include the many events of the Tango and Malambo Festival, a ten day sold-out collaboration of local Arts organization, that broke all symphony box office records. The critically acclaimed events were also attended and reported by The New York Times.

“The audience seemed to float out of the Arlington ….will stand out when it comes to write the history of maestro Gisèle Ben-Dor’s illustrious career heading the Santa Barbara Symphony….”

— The Soul of Tango, Josef Woodard,
The Santa Barbara News Press , February 04

“ Cleanliness and Godliness …. Will Gisèle Ben-Dor ever cease to plunge us into new territory, pulling us, awestruck, effortlessly with her? ….(they) reinvented Beethoven together.”

— Gerald Carpenter , The Independent , January 04

“By now, Gisèle Ben-Dor has nothing to prove…. She gave the audience plenty of accessible, well-crafted symphonic sounds in which to bask, and something to think about. It proved a nice dramatic flourish with which to cap off Ms. Ben-Dor’s brilliant local career at the symphonic helm.”

— Josef Woodard The Santa Barbara News Press , May 04

“Ben-Dor the Wonderful ….a masterful piece of cinema. Watching film and hearing symphonic strains….added up to a fascinating meeting of media. ….something we gladly expect from the adventure-loving side of Ms. Ben-Dor’s programming.”

— (screening of Ivan The terrible), Josef Woodard, The Santa Barbara News Press , April 03

“ A Russian finale … a moving reading of Shostakovich’s serious and epic Symphony No. 7 “Leningrad.” … the most profound musical moment of the seaso n… an impressive end statement illustrating the accord between this conductor and orchestra.”

— Josef Woodard, The Santa Barbara News Press, May 05

Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake – “It was deliciou s… a musical experience complete in itself, and very close to a music lover’s ideal: 15 minutes of melodic, voluptuous delight, referencing an imaginary past that we all share.” On Shostakovich Symphony No.7 – “Ben-Dor … allowed the music to have its own impac t… it paid off trumps in a sequence of shattering catharses that broke over us like waves. An extraordinary performance.”

— Gerald Carpenter, The Independent , May 05

The unique collaboration with the Symphony in recordings of the music of Ginastera (with Placido Domingo for EMI), Revueltas, and Villa-Lobos have brought the highest praise for the orchestra’s playing and vision. Other recordings with major ensembles such as the complete ballet “Estancia” by Ginastera (London Symphony), have been released by BMG and Koch labels, soon to be re-issued by Naxos. Gisèle Ben-Dor has also recorded music of composers John Adams, David Ott, and Béla Bártok.

Some of Gisèle Ben-Dor’s many career highlights include two dramatic last minute appearances with the New York Philharmonic in programs of Mahler, Brahms, and Beethoven, without rehearsal. The New York Times wrote, “If Ms. Ben-Dor had merely survived in a work as complex as the Mahler under the circumstances, she would have done well; she did more, making the interpretation … her own.” On other occasions, she has appeared with the NY Philharmonic in Central Park, before an estimated audience of 100,000 and a concert marathon of contemporary British music.

On her recent debut with the Israeli Opera in Rigoletto, the Jerusalem Post wrote, “Most outstanding was conductor Ben-Dor’s superb command of the Israel Symphony…..the dramatic tension, emotional climate and rich sound….turned out to be one of the major contributions to this performance.”

A new production and European premiere of Alberto Ginastera’s last opera, Beatrix Cenci, at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, won her unanimous acclaim. The Tribune de Genève stated, “…. a master conductor… The Uruguayan ‘chef’ set Ginastera’s opera on fire.” Fanfare magazine called her “one of the best things that has ever happened to the music of the Southern Hemisphere.” “Gisèle Ben-Dor can be counted to unearth something important every season, …so ferocious a talent …” Los Angeles Times.

Leonard Bernstein, with whom she shared the stage at Tanglewood and at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, recognized her talent. She was the recipient of the Leonard Bernstein Fellowship as a Tanglewood Fellow conductor. As the Winner of the Bártok Prize of Hungarian Television, she toured several East European countries.

She made her conducting debut with the Israel Philharmonic in Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, televised by the BBC/London throughout Europe. Born and raised in Uruguay of Polish parents, she studied at the Rubin Academy of Music (Tel-Aviv) and at Yale University. In 2001 she was singled out by the New Haven Register during Yale’s 300th year celebration in a special tribute, “A Contribution to Leadership.” She was cited amongst 17 leaders in a variety of fields nationwide, including four American presidents, as well as leaders in science and the arts, who graduated from Yale.

Gisèle Ben-Dor resides on the East Coast, with her husband and their two sons. They all attained American citizenship in 2001. To read more about Gisèle, go to www.GiseleBen-Dor.com.