“The only endeavor more complicated than grand opera is war.”
Peter Gelb, managing director of the Metropolitan Opera, admitted that, while this quote doesn’t come from Winston Churchill (whom it’s often attributed to), it does capture his experience leading the legendary organization. Gelb was in a reflective mood while accepting his Gold Medal for Distinguished Service to Humanity, the highest honor of the National Institute of Social Sciences, at the group’s annual dinner, held at a private club in Manhattan on December 5.
Gelb shared the evening’s honor with Dr. Paul Farmer, a medical anthropologist, Harvard Medical School professor, and co-founder of Partners In Health, an international not-for-profit that provides healthcare in high-risk regions around the world.
“In order to achieve wonderful things in art, science, or society, we need to pair discipline with virtue,” said National Institute President Fred Larsen. Gelb and Farmer, he added, embody “ferocious discipline, focus, and hard work” and have made themselves “role models for the rest of us to emulate.”
Anthony Roth Costanza, contra tenor lead of the Met’s new Akhenaten, and Angel Blue, soprano lead of the Met’s Porgy and Bess, praised Gelb as a leader and mentor, with Blue calling him “my boss and my friend.”
In accepting his medal, Gelb shared his own background in music before joining the Met. He deadpanned as he recalled how, as an assistant to Vladimir Horowitz, the acclaimed pianist once told him, “If the check is good, the acoustics are good.” And after years of service, he was honored when Horowitz said, “You don’t need to call me Mr. Horowitz anymore. Call me ‘Maestro.’”
But Gelb’s early achievements pale in comparison with running the country’s largest classical music organization, which he has steered since 2006. His contract requires him to be “on call 24/7,” and one of his most daunting challenges is managing the extraordinary singers. He noted approvingly that his predecessor, Joe Volpe, had to warn a diva who refused to wear a blond wig for a role: “The wig is going on, with or without you.”
Gelb recalled that, despite a warning from his early mentor, Sol Hurok, that “if the people don’t want to come, you can’t stop them,” he has expanded opera’s reach around the world. The Met’s successes under his tenure include global transmission to 73 countries, including every continent except Antarctica, with subtitles in eight languages. More than 28 million people have seen Met operas in movie theaters.
While introducing Dr. Farmer, her friend and colleague since the 1980s, Dr. Sheila Davis, CEO of Partners In Health, noted he has “dedicated his life to improving healthcare for the world’s poorest people.”
“It's a particular honor for me to be here tonight, especially because both of my parents are social scientists,” said Farmer. He spoke of the challenges the group faced in treating Ebola outbreaks in West Africa. His training as an anthropologist helped him understand the mistrust that healthcare workers faced when teaming with locals to combat the disease.
“At Partners In Health we fight for social justice by addressing health disparities,” he said. “This requires resources and moral support, and I’d like to close here by thanking all of you who support our efforts to address inequities here and elsewhere by attacking the illness and injury that rob far too many of long and happy lives. Thank you for the moral support we’ve received tonight. We will show our gratitude by redoubling our efforts.”
One of the nation’s oldest honorary societies, the National Institute of Social Sciences awards Gold Medals to men and women whose lives have manifested the highest achievements and who have made significant contributions to society and humanity. This year’s honorees joined a distinguished, diverse pantheon of honorees that stretches back more than a century, to 1913.
The National Institute promotes the study of social sciences, to support social science research and discussion, and to honor individuals who have contributed distinguished service to humanity. In addition to awarding Gold Medals, the National Institute provides scholarships and grants to students, and organizes educational events and round tables on important issues. For more information, visit http://www.socialsciencesinstitute.org.