Transcript of interview with Alan Gilbert

Jo Reed:  You grew up here at the New York Philharmonic.  Both your parents played in the orchestra, and you were the kid hanging out backstage.

Alan Gilbert:  I've had a long history with this orchestra.  There's still members of the orchestra who were playing when I was a little kid, who remember when I was helping to hand out the passports on the tours and when I was playing with my Rubik's Cube on plane flights and, wow, even before that, Mattel Electronics football.  I was around the orchestra, and I had a special opportunity as a kid to listen to concerts, often from the audience point of view, but very, very often as well backstage. 

Jo Reed:  Your mother is still a violinist with the Philharmonic.

Alan Gilbert:  She's still playing.

Jo Reed:  And how is that, conducting your mother?

Alan Gilbert:  It's definitely an unusual situation.  I'm not aware of any other case-- I'm sure it happens but a case in which the music director actually has his mother playing in the orchestra where he or she is working.  And it's changed.  When I first conducted the orchestrathat was almost 10 years ago.  I came as a guest conductor, of course. I was more aware of it than I am now.  I mean, when I speak to interviewers, I'm never allowed to forget this, so it's always a question that comes up.

Jo Reed:  Sorry.

Alan Gilbert:  No, it's fine.  It's a natural question.  But the way I answer it is-- well, it happens to be true.  It's that I was more aware of it when I started conducting here, because it was strange.  I mean, if you have your mother well, in any situation that you're dealing you tend to be aware of that, and she was sitting immediately to my left.  Frankly, now I can go through a concert or a rehearsal or a whole week and not have it really register as an element that I have to devote emotional energy to.  And I think it's a good thing because there's plenty to worry about other than that.  It's difficult enough to conduct and keep everything clear in my head without having to contend with that.  And also it means that she's doing a really wonderful job.  I can imagine if there were an issue with her playing or if she were a difficult colleague or if she somehow stuck out in an unnatural way that would become my problem in my capacity as the boss.  But she's a consummate pro, and shows up for work, and is well liked and respected by her colleagues.  And so it's just there.