Sir Alexander Gibson

Sir Alexander Gibson, CBE studied music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly the RSAMD) (which he later became president of), as well as in London, Salzburg and Siena. In 1957, he became the youngest ever musical director at Sadler’s Wells in London, holding the position of associate conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at the same time. He returned to Glasgow only two years later to become the first Scottish principal conductor and artistic director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, a post he held until 1984 – to date longer than any other conductor, taking them to Vienna’s Musikverin and New York’s Carnegie Hall (indeed the RSNO’s North American tour was the first by any non-London British orchestra). With the RSNO he became renowned for his interpretations of Elgar, Neilson and Sibelius. From 1981 to 1983 he was also principal guest conductor of the Houston Symphony Orchestra.

Gibson founded Scottish Opera in 1962 and was music director until 1986: he was appointed conductor laureate in 1986, and held the title for the rest of his life.

Under his direction, Scottish Opera became one of the most respected opera companies in Europe in a very short space of time, and became famous for attracting high-level singers, directors and designers to Scotland.

He gave landmark performances of Les Troyens, Der Ring des Nibelungen, Cosi fan Tutte among others and commissioned some of the first ever wholly Scottish operas from Robin Orr and Thea Musgrave. Through his artistic achievements the Theatre Royal, was bought from Scottish Television and transformed as Scotland’s first national opera house. He also held operatic posts in Los Angeles and Kentucky

A bust in the Theatre Royal commemorates his achievements in the operatic life of Scotland, and in 1998, the Alexander Gibson Opera School opened at the RSAMD (RSC) – the first purpose-built opera school in the United Kingdom. No other person is regarded as having a more positive impact for the music life of Scotland than Sir Alex, and his legacy continues to this day.