James Gaffigan serves as music director of the Komische Oper Berlin, where he began his third season in 2025–26, and he was recently named music director of Houston Grand Opera beginning in 2027. Guest engagements this season include returns to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony, Chicago Symphony, NDR Elbphilharmonie, Les Arts Valencia Opera, and Verbier Festival.

Gaffigan regularly works with the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, and Metropolitan Opera, among many others. In Europe, he has appeared with the London Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Vienna Symphony, Munich Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Orchestra, Norwegian Opera and Ballet, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Staatskapelle Berlin, and Czech Philharmonic.

Gaffigan’s previous titles include music director of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, Spain; principal guest conductor of both the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and Opera; chief conductor of the Lucerne Symphony; and assistant conductor of the Cleveland orchestra. He made his San Francisco Symphony debut in December 2006 and served as Associate Conductor from 2006 to 2009.

Rainer Eudeikis has been Principal Cello of the San Francisco Symphony since 2022, holding the Philip S. Boone Chair. Prior to his appointment, he was principal cello of the Atlanta Symphony and the Utah Symphony.
He made an acclaimed solo debut with the SF Symphony in 2024, performing Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Cello Concerto under the composer’s baton, leading to a commercial release on SFS Media, distributed by Warner Classics. Other notable performances include concerto appearances with the Atlanta Symphony, Utah Symphony, and other ensembles, as well as solo, recital, and chamber music performances across the United States and abroad.

Born in Texas, Eudeikis began studying cello at the age of six. Following studies in Colorado with Jurgen de Lemos, he attended the University of Michigan as a student of Richard Aaron, completing his bachelor of music in three years with highest honors. He received his master of music from Indiana University, where he studied with Eric Kim, and subsequently completed his artist diploma at the Curtis Institute of Music, studying with Carter Brey and Peter Wiley.

Eudeikis has been invited to serve as artist-faculty at the Aspen Music Festival, Brevard Music Center, and Festival Napa Valley, and is a dedicated teacher and coach. He performs exclusively on Larsen strings.

Benjamin Pesetsky has been Associate Director of Editorial at the San Francisco Symphony since 2021 and has organized the Inside Music Talks series since 2025. As a writer, he has contributed program notes to the SF Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, Carnegie Hall, La Jolla Music Society, and Tippet Rise Art Center. He holds degrees in composition and philosophy from Bard College Conservatory and Bard College.