Israeli-American conductor Yoel Gamzou has distinguished himself as a versatile conductor with a strong affinity for early-20th-century symphonic repertoire, and is renowned for his interpretations of the works of Gustav Mahler. He was born to an artistic family, and grew up in New York, London, and Tel Aviv. He trained with Israeli-American conductor Winston Dan Vogel, and was the last student of Carlo Maria Giulini in Milan.
On the concert platform Gamzou has conducted, among others, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg, the Norwegian Radio and Vienna Symphony Orchestras, Israel, Copenhagen, and Malaysian Philharmonics, Berner Symphonieorchester, Bamberger and Hamburger Symphoniker, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, Frankfurter Museumsorchester, and Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen.
Operatic engagements include Korngold’s "Tote Stadt" at the Wiener Staatsoper, followed by the iconic Otto Schenk "Fledermaus". He made his debut at the Bayerische Staatsoper with Wolf-Ferrari’s "Il Segreto di Susanna", Lehár’s "Schön ist die Welt", and then returned for "Tote Stadt". Gamzou conducted a critically acclaimed new production of "Carmen" at Staatsoper Hamburg, and has enjoyed a varied collaborations with Staatstheater Wiesbaden, and Gothenburg Opera. Alongside Marina Abramovic, he was part of the creative team for "Seven Deaths of Maria Callas", which he then conducted at the Bayerische Staatsoper premiere, and subsequently toured to Opéra National de Paris, Teatro San Carlo Naples, Greek National Opera, and Deutsche Oper Berlin. Gamzou was the General Music Director of Theater Bremen from 2018 – 2022, where he conducted multiple critically, and publicly acclaimed new productions of repertoire ranging from Shostakovich’s "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk", to his own arrangement of John Lennon’s "Imagine".
Gamzou’s relationship with the music of Gustav Maher has influenced every part of his career. He gained universal recognition at the International Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition when, as a 19-year old, he was awarded the competition’s ‘Special Prize’. Then, in 2010, his widely acclaimed completion of Mahler’s unfinished 10th Symphony was premiered and published by Schott Music. Both the premiere in Berlin, and the subsequent concert tour that followed in 2011 saw Gamzou conducting the International Mahler Orchestra, which he founded himself in 2006. A live recording of the tour’s final concert at the Berlin Philharmonie was released on the WERGO label in Germany. Gamzou’s realization of Mahler’s 10th Symphony continues to be performed around the world, often with Gamzou himself conducting.