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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Finlandia - Tapiola - La cygne de Tuolena...
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Susan Tyte, Alexander Gibson, Adrian Shepherd
Symphonic Poems - Released by Chandos on 1/01/1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Arias of the 18th Century (Mono Version)
Teresa Berganza, Royal Opera House Orchestra, Alexander Gibson
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1/01/1961
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46: I. Morning Mood (Remastered 2022)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Alexander Gibson
Classical - Released by Artemisia on 2/09/2022
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 1/06/2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: Hamlet - Romeo and Juliet - 1812 Overture
Alexander Gibson, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Lounge - Released by Collins Classics on 1/03/1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Complete Tone Poems
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Phyllis Bryn-Julson
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1/08/1985
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Special Sound of Chandos
Classical - Released by Chandos on 1/09/2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bennett: Piano Concerto - Five Studies for Piano -Capriccio for Piano Duet - Commedia IV
Stephen Kovacevich, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, London Symphony Orchestra, Thea Musgrave, Alexander Gibson
Concertos - Released by Lyrita on 1/09/2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elgar: Coronation Ode & The Spirit of England
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1/07/2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Handel: Water Music
Alexander Gibson, Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1/05/1985
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vivace! - Baroque Classics
Adrian Shepherd, Alexander Gibson, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Soloists of Australia, Cantilena, Ronald Thomas
Chamber Music - Released by Chandos on 1/01/1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Lemminkäinen Suite, Luonnotar & The Bard
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Phyllis Bryn-Julson
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1/08/2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
THE PLANETS
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Alexander Gibson
Classical - Released by Chandos on 20/11/2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Les esprits du mal (Mono Version)
The New Symphony Orchestra of London, Alexander Gibson
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1/01/1959
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonies n°1 & 4
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Alexander Gibson
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on 1/01/1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dvorak: Cello Concerto / Saint-Saëns: Cello Concerto No.1
Christine Walevska, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Alexander Gibson, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte‐Carlo, Eliahu Inbal
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1/01/2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Symphony No.1 - En Saga
Alexander Gibson, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by Collins Classics on 22/04/1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance March, Cello Concerto, Chanson de matin & Enigma Variations
Alexander Gibson, Norman Del Mar, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Bournemouth Sinfonietta, Ralph Kirshbaum
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1/08/2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Berlioz: Rob Roy, King Lear, Le Carnaval romain, Overture to Béatrice et Bénédict & Le Corsaire
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1/04/1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elgar: Cello Concerto & Falstaff
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Ralph Kirshbaum
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1/09/1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
HOLST, G.: Planets (The) (Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Gibson)
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Alexander Gibson
Classical - Released by Chandos on 1/09/1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo