Updated 3.3.2014

Eating Ice Cream with the Devil

March-April 2011

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:

Click here for the March-April 2011 issue table of contents

Sub topics

Performing & Recorded Arts

Students & Alumni

You might also like

Space shuttle view outside the Earth

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.

Cryptocurrencies are forms of digital assets stored on blockchains; image depicts hand holding representation of bitcoin over chain

Crypto—To Regulate or Not?

The former director of Harvard’s fintech lab reflects on the future of digital assets.

Most popular

scissors cutting a paper with Harvard shields on a dotted line

Harvard Layoffs Continue, with More to Come

In the wake of federal government actions, several Harvard schools and institutes are cutting costs.

Widener Library

Trump Administration Threatens Harvard’s Accreditation, Subpoenas Student Records

The federal government mounts pressure amid negotiations with Harvard.

A man and woman seated on a stage together, both holding microphones and looking out at the audience, which is outside the frame of the photo

Jodie Foster Honored at Radcliffe Day

The actress and director discussed her film career and her transformative time at Yale.

Explore More From Current Issue

Four 2025 Centennial Medal recipients standing outdoors in a row, smiling, with greenery and a brick building behind them.

University People

Saluting the 2025 Centennial Medalists

Four alumni of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences are honored.

Matt Levine in a dark blazer and glasses stands smiling with arms crossed in front of a large window in a city building.

University People

Matt Levine's Bloomberg Finance Column Makes Money Funny

Matt Levine’s spunky Bloomberg column

A six-foot-tall, five-panel folded screen stands in a field of grass next to the woods. It's painted different shades of green, with some squares cut out that represent digital pixels.

Julia Rooney’s Cyanotype Art At Harvard

Julia Rooney’s paintings cross the analog-digital divide.