Cabrera made his San Francisco Symphony debut in April 2009 when he conducted the Orchestra with 24 hours notice, in a program of Mozart's Symphony No. 38 and Overture to Le nozze di Figaro, and Ravel's orchestration of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. In 2002, Cabrera was a Herbert von Karajan conducting fellow at the Salzburg Festival. From 2005 to 2008, he was Associate Conductor of San Francisco Opera, participating in the world premiere of John Adams's Doctor Atomic and conducting performances of Die Fledermaus, Don Giovanni, Tannhäuser, and The Magic Flute. While at San Francisco Opera, he was also assistant conductor for The Rake's Progress, La Rondine, La Forza del destino, Madama Butterfly, Manon Lescaut, Das Rheingold, Der Rosenkavalier, and Tristan und Isolde. Donato Cabrera has also served as Assistant Conductor at the Ravinia, Spoleto (Italy), and Aspen Music Festivals, and as Resident Conductor at the Music Academy of the West. Cabrera has assisted in productions at the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Los Angeles Philharmonic. He made his South American debut in the summer of 2008 conducting Madama Butterfly with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Concepción in Chile and returns regularly to conduct both symphonic and operatic repertoire.
A champion of new music, Cabrera was Music Director and co-founder of the American Contemporary Music Ensemble and has conducted ACME in works by John Adams, Jacob Druckman, Donald Martino, Frederic Rzewski, and Elliott Carter. He is dedicated to music education and has worked with members of the young artist programs of the San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Portland Opera. He was also a frequent conductor of Young People's Concerts with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. In March 2009, Cabrera was asked to be one of eight participants in the biennial 2009 Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview, leading the Nashville Symphony over two days in a variety of works. In December 2009, he made his debut with the San Francisco Ballet, conducting performances of The Nutcracker. In February 2010, Cabrera was recognized as a Luminary by the Friends of Mexico Honorary Committee, a group led by San Francisco's Consul General of Mexico Carlos Félix dedicated to celebrating Mexico's bicentennial in San Francisco. Cabrera was recognized for his contributions to promoting and developing the presence of the Mexican community in the Bay Area. Cabrera holds degrees from the University of Nevada and the University of Illinois and has also pursued graduate studies in conducting at Indiana University and the Manhattan School of Music.
For more information: www.donatocabrera.com
