An audience member’s iPhone alarm forced the New York Philharmonic to stop during its performance of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony. Philharmonic conductor and music director Alan Gilbert was in the last movement of the 82-minute long symphony when an iPhone went off in the back of the concert hall.
When it didn’t stop ringing, Gilbert turned to the audience to apologize, “Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for this. Usually when these things occur, we ignore them. But this is such an egregious disturbance that I am forced to stop.” He then addressed the iPhone owner and told the person, “Would you please just admit it. It’s OK, just turn it off. Is it off now?”
Once the offending noise was silenced, Gilbert got back to business and completed the symphony to a standing ovation by the audience’s 2,750 members.
[Via Phone Arena]