The New York Philharmonic is regarded as one of the best orchestras in the world.  It is included in the “Big Five”, or the best orchestras in the country, along with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Cleveland Orchestra.  The New York Philharmonic performs at Lincoln Center in the Philharmonic Hall, or Avery Fisher Hall, located on the west side of Manhattan. The symphony has been around since its founding in 1842.  Since then, it has recruited some of the best musicians from all over the world.  But what is an orchestra without its main component? A conductor is vital to the success an orchestra.  Who is the leader of the greatest orchestra in the world?

Alan Gilbert is the principal conductor for the New York Philharmonic today.  He has had much experience in his life that led to this position.  He studied piano, violin, and viola.  Gilbert studied at Harvard University, The Curtis Institute of Music, and Juilliard School of Music throughout his earlier years.

Gilbert began his career with the New York Philharmonic in 2009.  The New York magazine called it “a fresh future for the Philharmonic.”  He is actually the first native New Yorker who has ever held this position.  He also has a legacy at the New York Phil.  Both of his parents played in it (his mother is still playing there now) along with his sister too.

Gilbert also conducts many orchestras around the country and the world (not permanently of course).  These include: the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the Berlin Philharmonic. For the upcoming season, he is supposed to be conducting the Berlin Philharmonic, Juilliard Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, Munich Philharmonic, NDR Symphony Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, and Orchestre National de Lyon too.

In May 2010, Gilbert received an Honorary Doctor of Music degree from Curtis School of Music, and in December 2011, he received Columbia University’s Ditson Conductor’s Award for his “exceptional commitment to the performance of works by American composers and to contemporary music.”

I myself had the pleasure of seeing the New York Philharmonic perform last year with my dad.  I was blown away.  Completely.  They produced a sound that is really only one of a kind.  Believe it or not, I actually noticed Gilbert conducting even though I didn’t know of him at the time.  I remember seeing his passion through his conducting style.  When the tempo would pick up, he would be very strict and concise with the baton.  But during solos and slow movements, he waved it as lightly as a feather.  Of course the Philharmonic was well received with thunderous applause.

Gilbert has done many extraordinary things with the New York Phil since becoming director.  He is very passionate about educating younger people about music.  one of his initiatives include “Contact!“ a contemporary music series that draw large audiences to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Symphony Space.  Unfortunately, there have been only two programs a season.  However, next year, it is expanding into four different programs, which will give more chances for the audience to listen in.

But that’s not all! Gilbert is planning to expand contemporary music in a huge way.  Starting next season, working with ten institutional collaborators, including the Julliard School and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gilbert inaugurates “NY Phil Biennial,” a series that will last over 10 days and will feature works from over 50 composers in May and June next year.  Gilbert has very high hopes for this series and is looking forward to it.

Critics even admire Gilbert for his work and passion.  However, though, he has been criticized to be uninspiring.  The pieces he selects for the orchestra to play have been fan favorites.  He chose Janacek’s “Cunning Little Vixen,” “A Dancers Dream” by Stravinsky, and “Philharmonic 360, ” a mix of Boulez, Mozart, Ives, and Stockhausen, all of which have sold out during their time on stage. The Philharmonic’s administration and board, unfortunately, believed otherwise, and limited the amount of concerts given that featured these pieces.  They were, of course, mistaken.  The New York Times said “Those who think classical music needs shaking up routinely challenge music directors at major orchestras to think outside the box.  That is precisely what Alan Gilbert did.”

Anthony Tommasini, an author for the New York Times, praises Gilbert for his passion and determination.  “I admire conductors who can convey, to put it simply, how a piece of music goes. Mr. Gilbert is excellent at revealing, without being didactic, the way the phrase-to-phrase layout of a composition fits into its larger structural arcs. His inquisitive mind lights on inner details, harmonic clashes and contrapuntal intricacies, and makes the music leap off the stage.”

Just this year, Gilbert’s contract was extended into the 2016-2017 season.  He said he felt a sense of a “fresh start” with the renewal of his contract.  From my own experience, there is an extremely strong bond between the conductor and the musicians in a symphony.  Gilbert said he does not plan on leaving any time soon because of some of the bonds he has formed with the players.  It is possible that Gilbert will still be the principal conductor for the Phil then Avery Fisher Hall is reconstructed. It has been criticized by audiences for its lack of quality acoustics.

Even though the arts as a whole have taken a hit from the recent economic recession, the Philharmonic is still going strong.  The New York Phil’s ticket sales are at an all time high as of last year.  The percent of capacity filled, ticket sales, and revenue are all up at least 50 percent, if not more.  This shows that there is still demand for the quality that the New York Philharmonic and Alan Gilbert bring to the table.

The New York Philharmonic is very lucky to be headed by Alan Gilbert.  He has many new plans for the orchestra, including more traveling and developing closer ties right here in New York.  Gilbert is a gem among other world-renowned musicians, some of them the best in the world.  He takes his work seriously and will continue to amaze audiences, for at least another five years.

Works Cited

“Alan Gilbert.” New York Philharmonic. New York Philharmonic, n.d. Web. 20 Nov

2013. <http://nyphil.org/about-us/ArtistDetail?artistname=alan-gilbert>.

 

Gilbert, Alan. “Alan Gilbert.” Alan Gilbert. Articomm, n.d. Web. 20 Nov 2013.

<http://alangilbert.com/>.

 

“Music Director Alan Gilbert.” New York Philharmonic. New York Philharmonic, n.d.

Web. 20 Nov 2013. <http://nyphil.org/about-us/the-orchestra/music-director-alan-

gilbert>.

 

“New York Philharmonic.” New York Philharmonic. New York Philharmonic, n.d. Web.

20 Nov 2013. <http://nyphil.org/>.

 

Tommasini, Anthony . “Alan Gilbert.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 15

Jul 2013. Web. 20 Nov 2013.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/16/arts/music/alan-gilbert-shapes-a-legacy-of-

change-at-the-philharmonic.html>.

 

Tommasini, Anthony. “What to Do When Asked to Accent Beethoven.” The New York

Times. The New York Times, 4 Oct 2013. Web. 20 Nov 2013.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/05/arts/music/new-york-philharmonic-plays-

beethoven-and-turnage.html>.