Israeli Conductor Gaddiel Dombrowner is an acclaimed conductor whose energetic performances and musical creativity have resonated with audiences around the world. Gaddiel is a prize winner of numerous conducting competitions such as the 1st prize at the Koussevitzky Conducting Competition (2022) in Italy, the 1st prize at the Athens Masterclass Competition (2021), the 1st prize and orchestra prize at the Turchak Conducting Competition (2017) in Ukraine, the 2nd prize at the BBCA Conducting Competition (2021) in England and the 3rd prize at the Blue Danube Opera Conducting Competition (2021) in Bulgaria.
Gaddiel is the founder and musical director of the Constanta International Conducting Masterclass (Romania) and a regular guest conductor with the Constanta State Opera. His upcoming projects include a production of Tosca in Constanta in May 2025, season concerts with the Beer-Sheva Sinfonietta, Stara Zagora State Opera & Virtuosi Brunensis, and a few projects with Israeli community orchestras in Tel Aviv, Herzliya and Hod Hasharon.
Gaddiel has conducted orchestras from around the world, among others the Lviv INSO Symphony Orchestra, Constanta State Opera, Orchestra Sinfonica Citta di Grosseto, Vidin Symphony Orchestra, Athens Philharmonia Orchestra, Stara Zagora State Opera, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Varna State Opera, National Academic Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Kunming International Philharmonic, Vaasa Symphony Orchestra, Virtuosi Brunensis Orchestra, Florence Conservatory “Cherubini” Orchestra and South Denmark Philharmonic, Jerusalem Street Orchestra, Ashdod Symphony Orchestra & Galilee Chamber Orchestra.
Gaddiel feels at home as well with operatic repertoire and has conducted productions such as : ”Un Ballo in Maschera” & “Il Trovatore” with the Constanta State Opera, Bartok’s “Bluebeard’s Castle” and “La Traviata” with Stara Zagora State Opera, “Cavalleria Rusticana” and “Pagliacci” with Varna State Opera, “La Traviata” with the Kyiv National Opera and Conservatory, “Cosi fan Tutte” and “La Boheme” at Music Fest Perugia, and others. He also conducted new operas such as “Insane Indik” by Eyal Baat (2018) at IMVAJ Opera masterclasses.
Gaddiel is a mature, intelligent, very sensitive and emotional musician. A magnificent performance, a well-deserved victory ! [….] He brilliantly embodied the author’s intention and his own human and musician maturity.
Olga Kizlova, ZN,UA
Gaddiel learned from many leading conductors such as Daniel Oren, Frederic Chaslin, Jorma Panula, Mark Stringer, Maurizio Arena, Gianluigi Gelmetti and Collin Metters. While being a finalist (2022) at the “Das Kritische Orchester” Gaddiel received praising reviews from the “Neue Muzikzeitung” (nmz.de): “Objective and concentrated, avoiding any exaggerated gestures, he leads the orchestra through Schubert’s music so skillfully that it follows his direction in a friendly manner and absorbs and implements everything wonderfully…”
Gaddiel also enjoys guiding the next generation of conductors and has recently started his own conducting masterclass with the Constanta State Opera. The 1st edition took place in August 2024, bringing together 8 conducting students from around the world to perfect their conducting skills with Gaddiel’s guidance. He has also given masterclasses at the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy in Kyiv, and at festivals such as MusicFest Perugia and “Vivace!” summer festivals.
Gaddiel has a master’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music in Conducting under the tutelage of Mr. Carl Topilow and has a double bachelor’s degree in music from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance in Conducting with Dr. Eugene Tsirlin and in clarinet with Prof. Ilan Schul. Gaddiel received scholarships for his studies from the Israeli Ronen Foundation.
With a great love for languages and cultures, Gaddiel speaks several languages: French, Hebrew, English, Italian, and is currently mastering in German and Spanish.
Gaddiel lives in Ramat Gan with his wife Ella who is also a musician: singer and electric bass player and their newborn daughter Meitar.
Press Quotes :
nmz.de (Berlin, April 2022)
“The tall conductor Gaddiel Dombrowner…. was objective and concentrated, avoiding any exaggerated gestures, he leads the orchestra through Schubert’s music so skillfully that it follows his direction in a friendly manner and absorbs and implements everything wonderfully.”
inews.qq.com (Kunming, China, December 2019)
“The Kunming Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2019 New Year Concert, under the baton of Gaddiel Dombrowner, provided a high-profile, high-level and high-quality music feast for the citizens of Kunming on the occasion of the New Year, allowing the audience to enjoy the spirit of elegant art in the wonderful music.”
Olga Kizlova, Kyiv: ZN, UA. (Kyiv, November 2017)
“The 33-year-old conductor is a mature, intelligent, very sensitive and emotional musician. A magnificent performance, a well-deserved victory. [….] Gaddiel Dombrowner closed the concert with the finale of Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 4…. The young conductor brilliantly embodied the author’s intention and his own human and musician maturity in the final Passacaglia.”