[7] He then was associate conductor of the San Francisco Symphony from 2006 to 2009, during which time he served as artistic director of the orchestra's 'Summer in the City' festival.
[9] With the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Gaffigan has commercially recorded music of Antonín Dvořák and of Wolfgang Rihm for harmonia mundi.
[10][11] In parallel with the announcement of his Lucerne appointment, Gaffigan was named principal guest conductor of the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest (RFO), with a contract for 4 weeks of concerts per season, effective August 2011.
[13] In June 2021, the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía announced the appointment of Gaffigan as its next music director, effective September 1, 2021, with an initial contract of 4 years.
[14] In January 2022, the Komische Oper Berlin announced the appointment of Gaffigan as its next music director, effective with the 2023–2024 season, with an initial contract of 4 years.
[16] In December 2024, the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía announced that Gaffigan is to stand down as its music director at the close of the 2024–2025 season.