Gibson, Sir Alexander (Drummond)

Gibson, Sir Alexander (Drummond), distinguished Scottish conductor; b. Motherwell, Feb. 11, 1926; d. London, Jan. 14, 1995. He studied piano at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music in Glasgow, and also was a student in music at the Univ. of Glasgow. He then held a piano scholarship at the Royal Coll. of Music in London, where he first studied conducting; he later received additional training in conducting from Markevitch at the Salzburg Mozarteum and from Kempen at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena. In 1951 he became a repetiteur and in 1952 a conductor at the Sadler’s Wells Opera in London. After serving as assoc. conductor of the BBC Scottish Sym. Orch. in Glasgow (1952-54), he again conducted at the Sadler’s Wells Opera (from 1954), where he later was music director (1957-59). In 1959 he made his first appearance at London’s Covent Garden. From 1959 to 1984 he was principal conductor and artistic director of the Scottish National Orch. in Glasgow. In 1962 he founded Glasgow’s Scottish Opera and was its artistic director until 1987. He also was principal guest conductor of the Houston Sym. Orch. (1981-83). In 1991 he became president of the Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. In 1967 he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He was knighted in 1977. Gibson was equally admired as an interpreter of the orch. and operatic repertoire.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire