Video: conductor Alan Gilbert has shaken things up at the New York Philharmonic

Conductor Alan Gilbert ’89 has shaken things up at the New York Philharmonic. In this video selection, see how.

In "Pizzazz on the Podium," from the March-April 2011 issue, Richard Dyer writes that New York Philharmonic conductor Alan Gilbert ’89 "has shaken things up at an orchestra that had grown a bit stodgy" under previous conductors.

One example: a set of three lighthearted YouTube videos promoting Ligeti's avant-garde opera Le Grand Macabre, which turned out to be the unexpected hit of Gilbert's first season with the Philharmonic. View the videos:

Watch an interview in which Gilbert discusses Le Grand Macabre:

See video of Gilbert conducting Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in Tokyo:

You might also like

How AI Is Reshaping Supply Chains

Harvard Kennedy School lecturer on using AI to strengthen supply chains

This Astronomer is Sounding a Warning on ‘Space Junk’

As debris accumulates in low Earth orbit, the danger of destructive collisions continues to rise.

Understanding AI Vulnerabilities

As artificial intelligence capabilities evolve, so too will the tactics used to exploit them. 

Most popular

The University will compensate families of those whose remains were sold and establish a scholarship to honor anatomical donors.

All That’s Unseen charts the Harvard graduate’s uneasy journey from Appalachia to Cambridge and back.  

The stakes are high for this husband and wife: one of them will die if they don’t find a cure.

Explore More From Current Issue

Modern building with large glass windows, surrounded by greenery and pedestrians.

A roundup of University news from the summer of 2026

A smiling William C. Kirby in a suit with glasses stands outdoors, surrounded by greenery.

The president of Harvard Magazine’s Board of Directors will step down in September.

A football player in a white jersey evades a defender in a green uniform on the field.

Despite personnel losses, Crimson captain Xaviah Bascon is upbeat about the 2026 season.