Peter Gelb

At age 17, Gelb began his career in classical music as an office boy to impresario Sol Hurok.

[citation needed] In 1982, Gelb founded, and was president of, CAMI Video, a division of Columbia Artists Management.

[needs update] His other ideas have included an annual "family-oriented" presentation at Christmas time, and collaborations with Lincoln Center Theater to develop new musical works with musicians such as Wynton Marsalis, Rachel Portman, and Rufus Wainwright.

Mr. Gelb also named three composers of color to its commissioning program: Valerie Coleman, Jessie Montgomery, and Joel Thomson.

[15] Under Mr. Gelb’s leadership, the Metropolitan Opera acted to express solidarity with Ukraine[16] over the Russian invasion.

Within days of the attack, the Met Opera and chorus sang the Ukrainian national anthem ahead of a regularly scheduled performance.

The orchestra, led by Mr. Gelb’s wife, the conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson,[18] toured during the summer of 2022, traveling to 12 cities in Europe and the United States as an expression of support for Ukraine and to raise money for its people.

[20] In 2013, Gelb received the Sanford Prize from the Yale School of Music, and was named Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur by the French President.

[22] On May 28, 2020, Italian President Sergio Mattarella decorated Mr. Gelb as an Ufficiale nell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia.

[24] Gelb's history at Sony Classical caused concern among critics when he was appointed to take over as General Manager at the Metropolitan Opera.

"[25] Gelb's relationship with the press became strained during his time at the Metropolitan Opera, that his new production of Der Ring des Nibelungen and, by extension his tenure as the company's general manager, received poor reviews.

[28] In 2014 Gelb and the Met were dogged by new controversy[29] with a production of John Adams's opera The Death of Klinghoffer,[30] due to criticism that the work was antisemitic.

[33] Gelb was contacted by a police detective in October 2016 about allegations of sexual abuse of a minor by Met conductor James Levine.

"[36] Pulitzer Prize-winning music critic Justin Davidson mused: "I’m not sure the Met can survive Levine’s disgrace.