Piero Gamba

File:Pierino-Gamba-1949.jpg

The 12-year-old conductor during his visit to Finland in 1949, with Toivo Haapanen to the left and Leo Funtek to the right.

Piero Gamba, also called Pierino Gamba (born 16 September 1936), is an Italian orchestral conductor and pianist.

Biography

Gamba was born in Rome in 1936. He first came to attention as a child prodigy.

He won the Arnold Bax Memorial Medal in 1962. He was, among others, the musical director and conductor of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra from 1971 till 1980. He was the chief conductor of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in Australia from 1983 to 1986, and conducted many other Australian orchestras during this time. He was the musical director and conductor of the SODRE National Symphonic Orchestra of Uruguay from 1994 till 1995 as well as from 2001 till 2004.

Piero Gamba currently lives in New York City, pursuing his career and teaching orchestra conducting.

Honours

Piero Gamba is Honorary Conductor for Life of the following orchestras:

• Philharmonia Antwerpen
• Orquesta Sinfonica de Madrid
• Orquesta Filarmonica Barcelona
• Orquesta da Camara Barcelona
• Orquesta A.P.O. Buenos Aires
• Orquesta A.U.D.E.M. Montevideo
• Asociacion Coral Porto.

Piero Gamba was one of the founders of Symphonicum Europae Foundation, an institution who's aim is to promote greater harmony of mankind through the arts.

Discography

Piero Gamba has mostly recorded with the following orchestras:

• London Symphony Orchestra (Decca Records, London Records),
• Philharmonia and the New Philharmonia (His Master's Voice, EMI),
• The Royal Danish Orchestra (TONO),
• The Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra,
• The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (CBC Records), and
• The Symphonicum Europae Orchestra.

Here are a few of his currently available recordings:

• Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 3-5, Piero Gamba conducts the London Symphony Orchestra, and Julius Katchen (Audio CD 1996)
• Beethoven: The Piano Concertos; Choral Fantasy; Diabelli Variations, Piero Gamba conducts the London Symphony Orchestra, and Julius Katchen (Audio CD 2007) Box set
• Liszt: The Piano Concertos, Ataulfo Argenta, Piero Gamba conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and London Symphony Orchestra (Audio CD 2002)
• Rossini: Overtures, Piero Gamba conducts the London Symphony Orchestra (Audio CD 1990)
• Rossini: Overtures, Piero Gamba conducts the London Symphony Orchestra (Audio CD 2004) Original recording remastered

External links

• The personal web site of Piero Gamba
• La Grande Aurora (The Great Dawn) is a semi-biographical account of Pierino Gamba's early musical genius.
• Video of Pierino Gamba conducting an orchestra aged 11 in 1947.