Spain’s Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia Music Director to Step Down

After almost four years, James Gaffigan will leave the role at the end of the 2024/25 concert season

The American conductor James Gaffigan will be stepping down as Music Director of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía and its resident ensemble the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana (OCV) as of August 31, 2025. 

First appointed to the position in September 2021, Gaffigan has since broadened the institution’s repertoire and appointed new OCV musicians — under Gaffigan’s leadership, the orchestra has grown from 54 to 76 musicians. 

Highlights from his tenure include Romeo Castellucci’s staged version of Mozart’s Requiem, the premiere of Wozzeck in Valencia, Tristan und Isolde, Queen of Spades, and a 2023/24 production of Die Zauberflöte. 

Other notable performances include Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 “New World”, Mahler Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection”, Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9.

Additionally, Gaffigan has been pivotal in opening the genre of opera and orchestral music to new and young audiences and increasing its reach throughout Valencia. He has also conducted 16 concerts in different Valencian towns and led the return of the OCV to the circuit of major summer festivals. 

Though he will be stepping down as conductor of the OCV, Gaffigan will be returning to Les Arts to conduct a project in the 2025/26 concert season.

“In addition to his remarkable artistic work, James Gaffigan has been a fundamental ally to develop and to put into effect proposals to approach Les Arts and its orchestra to citizenship,” said Jesús Iglesias Noriega, Artistic Director of Les Arts, in the press release. 

“When Jesús Iglesias Noriega approached me about this position years ago, he was looking for a partner to build Les Arts and Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana to the highest level,” Gaffigan added. “After meeting the orchestra, I jumped at this opportunity. Over these last four years, we have worked hard, appointed 22 musicians, and the orchestra is playing at an excellent level.

“Ticket sales for our concerts are higher than ever and I adore our audiences,” he continued. “I am very proud of what we have accomplished and am ready to dedicate my time to new opportunities. Valencia will always have a special place in my heart, and I feel confident that Les Arts is at a point where I can pass the torch onto the next musical leader to build upon the strong foundation we have created together.”