Biography

The Argentine conductor Gabriel Castagna began his musical studies in Buenos Aires and continued them in the USA, where he was awarded scholarships at the Universities of Rochester, Cincinnati (B.M "Cum Laude) , Carnegie Mellon (M.F.A) , Pittsburgh and Michigan (Post Graduate Studies). He has participated in seminars and master classes with Leonard Bernstein, Sergiu Celibidache and Max Rudolf. He was prizewinner at the 1992 Conducting Workshop Competition of Marienbad Czech Republic, being engaged later as Visiting Conductor 1992-93 by the Bohuslav Martinu Filharmonie.

Among other distinctions, he was awarded with a life membership "in recognition of scholastic achievement and excellency" by the "Golden Key National Honor Society" (USA). He has conducted orchestras in the USA, Europe and Japan, including Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, Berliner Symphoniker, Kammerorchester Mannheim, West Bohemian Symphony, The Moravian Chamber Players, Pro Arte Wien Orchester, Shinsei Nihon Symphony, the orchestras of the Universities of Rochester, Cincinnati, Carnegie Mellon and Michigan, and in Argentina the Symphony Orchestras of Tucuman, Santa Fe, Córdoba, La Plata, Sinfónica Nacional, Entre Rios, San Juan, Bahia Blanca, etc. Gabriel Castagna is well regarded as a specialist in Latin American Music. He has done the premiere recordings of works of argentine composers such as "Glosses on themes of Pablo Casals," by Alberto Gianastera, "Salmo al Paraná," by Oscar Giúdice, "Sinfonietta," by Astor Piazzolla, "Las Niñas" from "Tres Romanzas Argentinas," of Carlos Guastavino, "Escenas Argentinas," by Carlos López Buchardo (CD premiere) etc. His repertory includes a large number of works by many Latin American composers, and in the near future, Gabriel Castagna will conduct premiere recordings of major works by Argentine composers.