Tempesta di Mare Appoints Juan Gallastegui as New Managing Director

Tempesta di Mare, the award-winning Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra, has announced the appointment of Juan Gallastegui as its new Managing Director, effective May 22, 2026. Gallastegui succeeds Ulrike Shapiro, who will leave the ensemble after twenty years of service.

During Mrs. Shapiro's tenure, Tempesta di Mare has grown to international renown for its performances of rediscovered masterworks from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Under her leadership, the organization grew from a mostly volunteer-run start-up into a cornerstone of the Philadelphia early music scene and a financially sound arts organization with a budget of $1 million. Shapiro oversaw multiple large-scale artistic projects that garnered international attention, including the Telemann 360 Festival (2017), the rediscovery of orchestral works by Johann Friedrich Fasch (2008–2024), and most recently, Hidden Virtuosas (2023–present), a project that revealed the music and stories of women performers in baroque Venice.

Gallastegui is an arts administrator and conductor with experience spanning orchestra management, artistic operations and performance. He has previously led ensembles in the Washington DC area and most recently served as Executive Director of the Bremerton Symphony Association (WA), where he led organizational operations, strategic planning, and fundraising initiatives while working closely with board and artistic leadership to strengthen institutional practices and support long-term development.

“I am excited about the opportunity to support Tempesta di Mare's continued artistic and organizational growth and to contribute to the ensemble's next chapter,” says Gallastegui.

Originally from Spain, Gallastegui holds advanced degrees in music, including a Ph.D. in Music History.

“We are so grateful for the leadership and stewardship Ulrike has provided for Tempesta over these past twenty years. She will be greatly missed by musicians, staff and audiences alike,” said John Trout, Chair of Tempesta's Board of Directors. “At the same time, we are thrilled to welcome Juan to the team. Together with Artistic Directors Gwyn Roberts and Richard Stone we look forward to Tempesta's 25th Anniversary Season and this next chapter.”

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