Renowned for her dynamic artistry, Valentina Peleggi has served as Music Director of the Richmond Symphony since 2020. A passionate advocate for new music, she has launched commissioning initiatives and composer-in-residence programs that champion the voices of our time. Peleggi has appeared with orchestras around the world, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Gulbenkian Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra dell’Arena di Verona and the orchestra of Teatro Colón. 

Deeply rooted in the vocal tradition, Peleggi has conducted productions at Paris’s Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Washington National Opera, Seattle Opera, Opéra National de Lyon and English National Opera, among others. She previously served as Resident Conductor of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra and Principal Conductor of its chorus. Peleggi was the first Italian woman admitted to the conducting program at London’s Royal Academy of Music and is the first Italian woman to serve as Music Director of a professional orchestra in North America.