Alexander Gibson
Alexander Gibson was a Scottish conductor known for his interpretations of late Romantic and British works. He was also an advocate for Scottish composers and new music and conducted countless premieres. He was born in 1926 to a non-musical family in Motherwell, Scotland. His musical talents were first discovered when he performed in a production of The Pirates of Penzance at the Dalziel High School, where he attended. Gibson also studied the piano and organ in school, and after he graduated, he became the organist at the Hillhead Congregational Church in Glasgow. In 1943, he enrolled at the University of Glasgow, where he majored in English and Music, but he was conscripted into the military after his first year of study. Gibson served as a pianist in the Royal Signals Band until 1948, when he received a scholarship to attend the Royal College of Music in London as a piano student. His professors initially didn't allow him to enroll in the conducting courses because they didn't think that he knew enough music theory. However, he proved them wrong by forming and conducting his own orchestra and was admitted into the conducting courses. After finishing at the Royal College of Music, he began studying conducting at the Salzburg Mozarteum with Igor Markevitch in 1950. The following year, he started working as a rehearsal conductor at Sadler's Wells Opera, and in 1952, he signed a two-year contract as the assistant conductor of the BBC Scottish Orchestra, under Ian Whyte. This gave Gibson the opportunity to learn much of the standard orchestral repertoire. After his contract ended, he returned to Sadler's Wells Opera as a staff conductor and was offered the post of Musical Director later in 1957. At 31 years old, he was the youngest conductor ever to serve in this position. In 1959, he was appointed conductor of the Scottish National Orchestra, and he remained there for 25 years. He also founded the Scottish Opera in 1962 and became its artistic director and principal conductor. In this capacity, he commissioned several new works and conducted their premieres. Gibson also played a major role in introducing Janet Baker to the world of opera. He made his North American conducting debut in Detroit with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 1970 and became increasingly more active in the U.S. throughout the 1980s. In 1984, he left the Scottish National Orchestra, and he also left the Scottish Opera in 1985, but he continued conducting opera in Los Angeles, Kentucky, and Houston. Gibson became the president of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 1991, where he served until his death in 1995 after suffering a heart attack.
© RJ Lambert /TiVo
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Sibelius: Tone Poems
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Phyllis Bryn-Julson, Alexander Gibson
Classical - Released by Chandos on 1 Aug 1985
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Paganini: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 4
Henryk Szeryng, London Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Gibson
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 6 Oct 1976
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Dukas: The Sorcerer's Apprentice - Saint-Saëns: Dance Macabre - Respighi: La Boutique Fantasque
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1 Jan 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vaughan Williams : Symphonies Nos. 4-6, etc.
Alexander Gibson, Paavo Berglund, Constantin Silvestri
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 2 Jun 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 3
Henryk Szeryng, London Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Gibson
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Oct 1971
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Music of the Four Countries
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 10 Mar 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ouvertures
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Alexander Gibson
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on 1 Jul 1983
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
NIELSEN: Symphony No. 5 / Helios / SIBELIUS: Spring Song / Night Ride and Sunrise
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Alexander Gibson
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on 1 Jun 1978
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Berlioz: 5 Overtures
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Alexander Gibson
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on 1 Apr 1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elgar: Cockaigne Overture, Pomp & Circumstance Marches & The Crown of India Suite
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1 Nov 1985
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Finlandia
Jean Sibelius, Alexander Gibson, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Lounge - Released by PMI Collins Classics on 11 Jan 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elgar: Coronation Ode & The Spirit of England
Choral Music (Choirs) - Released by Chandos on 1 Jul 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Scottish Overtures
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1 Jan 1985
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Water Music (Suites 1, 2, 3)
Concertos - Released by Chandos on 1 Jul 1985
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 6; Choral Fantasy etc
Pietro Spada, London Voices, Philharmonia Orchestra, Alexander Gibson
Classical - Released by Decca (UMO) on 1 Jan 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Symphony No. 10 & Triple Concerto in C Major
Alexander Gibson, Walter Weller, English Chamber Orchestra, City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1 Jul 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Scenes historiques I & II, Rakastava & Valse lyrique
Classical - Released by Chandos on 1 Jul 1985
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Légendes de Lemminkaïnen
Susan Tyte, Phyllis Bryn-Julson, Adrian Shepherd, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Alexander Gibson
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on 1 Aug 1978
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Finlandia - Tapiola - La cygne de Tuolena...
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Susan Tyte, Alexander Gibson, Adrian Shepherd
Symphonic Poems - Released by Chandos on 1 Jan 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46: I. Morning Mood (Remastered 2022)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Alexander Gibson
Classical - Released by Artemisia on 2 Sep 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 5
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1 Jun 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo