Roberto Abbado regularly conducts the world's major orchestras, among them the Boston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Saint Louis Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, the Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the La Scala Philharmonic in Milan, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre National de France, Hamburg NDR Symphony Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and many others.
His most extensive relationship is currently with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, where he has been one of the first Artistic Partners since the 2005-06 Season. Equally established in the operatic arena, where he has conducted many new productions and world premieres, Maestro Abbado's operatic credits include the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Vienna State Opera and the Bavarian State Opera. A prolific recording artist, he has made several award winning recordings of operatic and symphonic works.
Roberto Abbado studied conducting with Franco Ferrara at La Fenice and at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, where he was honoured as the only student in the Academy's history to be invited to conduct the Orchestra di Santa Cecilia. From 1991-98, he served as Chief Conductor of the Munich Radio Orchestra, recording seven CDs during his tenure.
Roberto Abbado is a passionate interpreter of modern and contemporary music and has conducted several premieres of new works. He received the Franco Abbiati award of the National Association of Italian Music Critics as Conductor of the Year for 2008.