Mihhail Gerts steps in at last minute for Gustavo Dudamel to conduct Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia on their Italian tour. He will conduct works by Brahms, Rossini and Schubert in Turin, Brescia, Udine, Rimini and Genova from 10 – 16 December.

This tour follows a whirlwind autumn of high-profile jump-ins for the Estonian conductor. On 12 November, he made his BBC Symphony Orchestra debut in front of a sold-out Barbican audience for international best-selling author-screenwriter-producer Neil Gaiman’s Playing in the Dark. The concert featured appearances by the sensational singer-songwriter-author Amanda Palmer, baritone Simon Butteriss, and special guest David Tennant, who starred as Crowley in Gaiman and Amazon’s adaptation of his Good Omens, co-written by Sir Terry Pratchett. He followed this up on 15 November making his Orchestre National de Radio France debut conducting a programme of Mahler and Shostakovich, featuring baritone Matthias Goerne.

The Estonian conductor is making a name for himself following recent successful debuts with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, RTÉ National Symphony, and Luxembourg Symphony Orchestras. Other recent highlights include the Helsinki Philharmonic, Stavanger Symphony, Orchestre National de Lille, Beethoven Orchester Bonn, Oulu Sinfonia, and a tour of Germany with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and violinist Nicola Benedetti.

Of a recent appearance, Jacques Schmitt of ResMusica writes “His ability to push his ensemble forward, towards a sound density, and a magmatic strength is extraordinary. Behind his expressive and graceful gestures, under his baton, he holds his ensemble with supple authority. … A name to remember, an artist to follow absolutely.”

For more information, please visit www.santacecilia.it