Known for her “unique sensitivity and a heightened attention to detail and texture” (The Washington Post) and “programming prowess” (Vancouver Sun), New Zealand-born Gemma New (ONZM) is Artistic Advisor and Principal Conductor of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and a highly sought-after guest conductor worldwide. She is the recipient of the prestigious 2021 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award and was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2024.
Highlights of New’s 2026/2027 season include her debuts with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Staatskapelle, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and with Bayerische Staatsoper leading a production of John Adams’ Doctor Atomic. She makes a return with The Hallé in Europe, and in the United States and Canada, New returns to lead the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, the Juilliard Orchestra, and a production of Rossini’s Cenerentola with Opera Theatre St. Louis.
In her fifth season as Artistic Advisor and Principal Conductor of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, New conducts performances in Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin, featuring Mahler Symphony No. 1, Elgar's Enigma Variations, and Beethoven Symphony No. 9, collaborating with violinist James Ehnes and pianist Sir Stephen Hough, and a special “Rhythm and Dance” concert featuring Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story as well as the New Zealand premieres of Thomas Adès' The Origin of the Harp and Gabriela Ortiz’s Antrópolis. The NZSO will also feature works by New Zealand composers Gillian Whitehead and Ross Harris, who will receive a World Premiere.
Among her recent season highlights, New made debuts with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, KBS Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Belgian National Orchestra, SWR Sinfonieorchester, and with Houston Grand Opera leading a production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. Summer 2026 highlights included her debuts at the Aldeburgh Festival in Snape Maltings, the Music Academy of the West, and the Brevard Music Center, as well as returns to the Oregon Bach Festival, Colorado Music Festival, the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at The Hollywood Bowl.
New regularly appears with top orchestras in North America and Europe, having conducted the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, WDR Sinfonieorchester, London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, The Hallé, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Belgian National Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre National de Lyon, Orquesta Nacional de España, Sydney Symphony Orchestra and many others.
2023/2024 marked New’s ninth and final season as Music Director of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra in Ontario, Canada. During her tenure, she deepened the artistic excellence of the orchestra and expanded its reach into the community, launching the “Intimate and Immersive” concert series celebrating music by Canadian composers in a visually vibrant setting. Under New’s leadership, the orchestra embraced a bold programming style that built audiences significantly, highlighted by collaborations with many of Canada’s leading soloists, including James Ehnes, Timothy Chooi, Janina Fialkowska and Stewart Goodyear.
For four seasons, New held the title of Principal Guest Conductor with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. In her final season, she led the orchestra in three programs including Holst’s The Planets and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. In a testament to her support for new music, New’s programs featured works by Angélica Negrón, Salina Fisher, Steven Mackey, Kareem Roustom and the world premiere of Katherine Balch’s Cello Concerto.
From 2016 to 2020, New served as Resident Conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra. In her final season, she led the 2019/20 season-opening concerts of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and conducted a concert broadcast live with Chris Thile on the nationally syndicated variety show Live From Here.
A former Dudamel Conducting Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, New served previously as Associate Conductor of the New Jersey Symphony. In 2018 she was a Conducting Fellow at Tanglewood Music Center, where she led the world premiere of Michael Gandolfi’s In America. She is a past recipient of the David Karetsky Conducting Fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival and an Ansbacher Fellowship, for which she was selected by members of the Vienna Philharmonic to observe rehearsals and concerts at the Salzburg Festival. As a Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Fellow, she studied Mendelssohn’s music with Kurt Masur in Leipzig and led the Leipziger Symphonieorchester. She was awarded Solti Foundation Career Assistance Awards in 2017, 2019 and 2020, before receiving the 2021 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award.
Committed to new music, New made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2013 with works by John Adams and Andrew Norman. In 2010, she founded the Lunar Ensemble, a nine-member contemporary music ensemble that premiered 30 works over six seasons. New has conducted works by Thomas Adès, Anna Clyne, Kevin Puts, Salina Fisher, Jessie Montgomery, Guillaume Connesson, Alissa Firsova, Aaron Jay Kernis, and many others.
New holds a Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting from the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, where she studied with Gustav Meier and Markand Thakar. She graduated with honors from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand with a Bachelor of Music in violin performance.