Recognized for his clarity, versatility, and thoughtful musical leadership, Gustavo Gimeno has distinguished himself with orchestras and in opera. Music Director of Toronto Symphony orchestra since 2020/21, Gimeno recommitted to the orchestra through the 2029/30 season. 2025/26 is his inaugural season as Music Director of Madrid’s Teatro Real.

During the 2025/26 season, Gimeno and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra present an impressive line-up of world-renowned soloists, including Lang Lang, Javier Perianes, Denis Kozhukhin, Pablo Ferrández, Abel Selaocoe, Anoushka Shankar, and Maria Dueñas. The repertoire features notable new commissions alongside classic masterpieces. The season opens with Orff’s monumental Carmina Burana, followed by performances of Beethoven’s Symphonies Nos. 6, 8, and 9, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, Prokofiev’s Symphonies Nos. 3 and 5, Mahler’s Symphony No. 9, Coll’s Lilith Symphony, and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 throughout the season. Highlighting their international presence, Gimeno and the orchestra embark on a tour to Spain, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Germany, sharing the stage with soloists Bruce Liu, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, and Anna Prohaska.

This season at Teatro Real, Gimeno conducts two productions: Bartók’s Duke Bluebeard’s Castle and The Miraculous Mandarin, directed by Christof Loy, as well as a new staging of Smetana’s Bartered Bride, directed by Laurent Pelly. In the 2024/25 season, he led a highly successful new production of Eugene Onegin and performed in concerts with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid as they celebrated their 120th anniversary.

He is much sought-after as a guest conductor worldwide, this season he debuts with New York Philharmonic conducting Dvorak’s New World Symphony and sharing stage with Helene Grimaud and returns to Los Angeles Philharmonic with Sibelius Symphony No.1 and soloist Renaud Capucon. Recent highlights include appearance with Chicago Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Münchner Philharmoniker, Berliner Philharmoniker, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra and The Cleveland Orchestra. As an opera conductor he has conducted major titles at great houses such as the Liceu Opera Barcelona, Opernhaus Zürich and Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, Valencia.

Building on his relationship with Harmonia Mundi, in February 2025 Gimeno and the TSO released their second album together featuring Stravinsky’s Pulcinella and Divertimento as well as the world premiere recording of Kelly-Marie Murphy’s Curiosity, Genius, and the Search for Petula Clark. Their first album for the label released to critical acclaim in February 2024 featuring Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie won the JUNO Award for Classical Album of the Year (Large Ensemble) in 2025.

Gimeno served as Music Director of the Luxembourg Philharmonic for a decade, beginning with the 2015/16 season. During this tenure, Gimeno and Luxembourg Philharmonic have visited many of Europe's, South Korea's and South America’s most prestigious concert halls. Soloists with whom Gimeno shared the stage include Daniel Barenboim, Gautier Capuçon, Anja Harteros, Leonidas Kavakos, Bryn Terfel and Martin Grubinger. A highlight has been performances of the complete Beethoven Piano Concertos with Krystian Zimerman. Gimeno and Luxembourg Philharmonic developed an extensive discography with Pentatone, featuring releases such as a Francisco Coll monography with the Violin Concerto performed by Patricia Kopatchinskaja, as well as recordings of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, Ravel’s complete ballet music to Daphnis et Chloé, Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, and Rossini’s Petite Messe solennelle. Other repertoire recorded for Harmonia Mundi, include Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Puccini’s Messa di Gloria, and Stravinsky’s ballets The Firebird and Apollon musagète and Henri Dutilleux album with cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras.

In March 2025, Gimeno was appointed a Commander of the Order of Civil Merit by His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain. This prestigious honour recognizes his role in elevating Spanish culture internationally, his extraordinary contributions to classical music, and his influence on the global cultural landscape. Following his tenure with the Luxembourg Philharmonic, His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Luxembourg conferred Gimeno an Officer in the Order of Civil and Military Merit of Adolph of Nassau.