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
Similar artists
-
Rachmaninov : Symphony No. 2
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Alexander Gibson
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on 1/01/1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
An Introduction to Gustav Holst
Alexander Gibson, Richard Hickox, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, City Of London Sinfonia
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1/08/2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonies n°2 & 5
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Alexander Gibson
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on 1/01/1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante & Symphony No. 39
Alexander Gibson, Vernon Handley, English Chamber Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Norbert Brainin, Peter Schidlof
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1/09/1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elgar: Overtures
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1/10/1983
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Symphony No. 1 & Symphony No. 7
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1/11/2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Scènes historiques I & II - Rakastava - Valse lyrique
Symphonic Music - Released by Chandos on 11/08/1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonie n°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 -
Sinfonia Concertante - Concertone
Norbert Brainin, Peter Schidlof, English Chamber Orchestra, Neil Black, Alexander Gibson, Olga Hegedus
Chamber Music - Released by Chandos on 1/05/2003
16-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 6/10/1976
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 -
Elgar: Enigma Variations
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1/09/1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Finlandia, Tapiola, Pohjola's Daughter, The Swan of Tuonela & The Oceanides
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1/09/2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Elgar: Cello Concerto in E Minor - Walton: Cello Concerto
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Ralph Kirshbaum
Concertos - Released by Chandos on 1/07/1985
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stravinsky: Symphony in C & Symphony in 3 Movements
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1/01/1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Holst: The Planets
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1/09/1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Special Sound Of Chandos
Classical - Released by Chandos on 1/01/1979
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 (Complete Version)
Alexander Gibson, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on 1/11/1985
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 -
Beethoven: Triple Concerto in C Major, Op. 56
Alexander Gibson, English Chamber Orchestra, Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Concertos - Released by Chandos on 1/07/2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Airs du XVIIIe siècle (Stereo Version)
Teresa Berganza, Royal Opera House Orchestra, Alexander Gibson
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1/01/1961
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo