Ainārs Rubiķis

Ainārs Rubiķis came to international attention as winner of the Third International Gustav Mahler conducting competition in 2010. In 2011, he was announced recipient of the Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award and subsequently conducted the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester at the Salzburg Festival. From 2012-14, he served as Musical Director of Novosibirsk State Opera House. Highlights of previous seasons include debuts with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Danish Chamber, Strasbourg Philharmonic, Tiroler Landestheater Orchester, Samara Symphony and returns to Gulbenkian with Leonskaja, Orchestre Nationale d’Ile de France, Royal Northern Sinfonia and Salzburg Mozartwoche. Opera has included a celebrated new production of Tannhauser in Novosibirsk and debuts with Liceu Barcelona (Carmen) and Oberammergau Festival (Nabucco). The 2015/16 season sees return visits to Poznan Philharmonic, St Petersburg Philharmonic, Orchestre Nationale d’Ile de France and Orquesta de Euskadi with the Malandain Ballet Biarritz. Debuts include with Residentie Orkest and the Bolshoi Theatre with a production of Boris Godunov.