B i o g r a p h y
Christian Baldini has served as the Music Director of the Camellia Symphony Orchestra since 2012 and has been the Music Director of the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra since 2009, in addition to holding the Barbara K. Jackson Professorship in Orchestral Conducting at UC Davis. Baldini’s dynamic career has included roles as assistant conductor with the BBC Symphony in London and the San Francisco Symphony.
Equally respected in the world of opera, he conducted Verdi’s Aida at the Coliseum in London for English National Opera, and has led numerous operatic productions at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, including works by Dallapiccola, Offenbach, Gandini and Strasnoy, as well as operas by Benjamin Britten at the Aldeburgh Festival. Since 2009, he has also served as the Music Director of the Barbara K. Jackson Rising Stars of Opera program at UC Davis, in collaboration with the San Francisco Opera.
Baldini’s conducting has been praised for bringing a "Symphonic Revival" to Argentina following his interpretation of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, and his Mozart CD with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra earned critical acclaim, receiving five-star reviews from BBC Music Magazine (Recording of the Month), Gramophone, The Guardian, and more. He has conducted numerous prominent orchestras, including the Munich Radio Orchestra, Buenos Aires Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra of Argentina, San Francisco Symphony, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto (Portugal), and the National Symphony Orchestra (D.C.).
An advocate for contemporary music, Baldini has premiered over 200 new works and regularly engages with cutting-edge composers. His passion for both classical and contemporary repertoires is evident in his extensive guest conducting schedule, which includes prestigious engagements with the North Netherlands Orchestra, the Northwest German Philharmonic, Porto Alegre Symphony (Brazil), the National Symphony Orchestra of Argentina (including a tour for Ginastera’s 100th anniversary), Buenos Aires Philharmonic, and the San Francisco Symphony.
Baldini’s work as a composer has also garnered significant recognition. His compositions have been performed by prominent ensembles such as the Orchestre National de Lorraine (France), Southbank Sinfonia (London), and the Munich Radio Orchestra. His music, published by Babel Scores (Paris) and Universal Edition (Vienna), has been featured on the Pretal label and broadcast by several major radio stations including the Southwest German Radio and the National Classical Music Radio of Argentina.
Baldini’s conducting education was shaped by mentorship from esteemed figures such as Kurt Masur, Michael Tilson Thomas, Leonard Slatkin, and Peter Eötvös. He holds a Ph.D. in Composition from the State University of New York at Buffalo, a Master’s in Conducting from Pennsylvania State University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Conducting and Composition from the Catholic University of Argentina.
Notable milestones in his career include winning top prizes at international competitions such as the Seoul International Competition for Composers (2005) and the Sao Paulo Orchestra International Conducting Competition (2006). He made his debut at the Salzburg Festival in 2012 as a finalist in the Nestlé/Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award, selected from 91 global applicants.
Baldini’s discography includes a 2015 album conducting Mozart with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, which received 5-star reviews by the Guardian, Gramophone (Recording of the Month), and Classic FM. His 2021 release with Centaur Records featuring Ligeti’s Violin Concerto, Lutoslawski’s Chain 2, Varèse’s Amériques, and his own composition Elapsing Twilight Shades, with the Munich Radio Orchestra and the UC Davis Symphony received praise by the international critics. The album was hailed for its "invigorating energy and fine-tuned sensitivity," leaving listeners with "an urging desire to press play again." In addition to his ongoing work at UC Davis, Baldini continues to garner critical acclaim on international stages, returning regularly to conduct orchestras in Buenos Aires, Porto Alegre, Santiago de Chile, and San Juan. His recent and upcoming projects include a new production of Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, and a 2025 return guest conducting appearance with the National Symphony Orchestra of Argentina.
His most recent album, released in January 2025 by Coviello Records, features Baldini conducting Felder's Jeu de Tarot 2 with Irvine Arditti and the Slee Sinfonietta.
