In Monday’s (7/13) Wall Street Journal , Juliet Chung writes, “The New York Philharmonic—once led by such greats as Leonard Bernstein and Gustav Mahler, and most recently by veteran Lorin Maazel—is about to pass its baton to a lesser-known name in the music world: Alan Gilbert. … At age 42, Mr. Gilbert is nearly four decades younger than Mr. Maazel, who led the Philharmonic for seven years and ended his tenure last month. The orchestra is already considering new directions: an Asian tour this fall, with its first visit to Vietnam, and a possible trip to Cuba in October, which would be another first for the orchestra. Making music will only be part of the job description of Mr. Gilbert, who leads the Philharmonic in its annual Concerts in the Parks series beginning Tuesday. Increasingly, conductors must take a more active role in fund-raising, and as music director Mr. Gilbert will be expected to court new donors along with new audiences, say orchestra officials and board members. … Of his musical vision for the Philharmonic, Mr. Gilbert says he hopes to create a ‘sonic signature’ for the orchestra under his direction—an ‘abundantly personal’ sound that reflects the chemistry between the maestro and musicians. He hopes to have the orchestra play outside Avery Fisher Hall more often.”
Posted July 13, 2009
