[1][3] He worked for the London branch of Schott, beginning as a warehouseman and later chief editor of contemporary music, and head of production.
[1] Amongst his students were Sally Beamish,[4] Tim Benjamin,[5] Martin Butler,[6] Simon Holt,[7] Adam Johnson,[8] Paul Newland,[9] Priti Paintal,[10] Janet Owen Thomas,[11] James Saunders[12] Jane Antonia Cornish and Ian Vine.
[16] He enjoyed lasting friendships with other composers, including Harrison Birtwistle, Don Banks, Alexander Goehr and David Lumsdaine.
[17] He began writing a memoir in 2014, focusing on the work in the months preceding his 87th birthday; it was published as Kettle of Fish in 2021.
His second marriage in 1978 was to Alison Cox, who became the first Head of Composition at The Purcell School for Young Musicians where she has taught from 1988 - the present day, and also founded a musical charity, The Commonwealth Resounds.
[17] Gilbert was a prolific composer from the early 1960s, writing the majority of his works for instrumental or chamber ensemble.
There are a trilogy of humorous pieces based on the imaginary Chinese bestiary of Jorge Luis Borges: Quartet of Beasts (1984).
[22] Although not noted for his interest in traditional forms, Gilbert composed four piano sonatas (the most recent in 2022) and a cycle of five string quartets spanning the years 1972 to 2009.