The New York Philharmonic led by conductor Alan Gilbert, who debuted as its new music director at the opening gala concert on Sept. 16, heads off for an Asian tour in October, with Tokyo as the first stop.
"I pretty much grew up with the New York Philharmonic," says Gilbert, a 42-year-old New York native and the son of NYP violinists (his father has retired, but his mother continues to be a member). Gilbert has attended NYP concerts and rehearsals since childhood, and has also accompanied his parents on world tours, particularly spending a lot of time in Japan, as his mother is Japanese. His sister, Jennifer, is also a top-level violinist who plays in Japan frequently.
Gilbert learned the violin as a youth and later studied composition at Harvard University. He went on to conduct at the renowned Curtis Institute of Music and Julliard School of Music.