Top conductor creates UN of orchestras

NEW YORK - In his eight years leading the New York Philharmonic, Alan Gilbert has witnessed the power of music to connect cultures - and watched as political strife consumes much of the world.

Closing his tenure in one of classical music's most prestigious positions, Gilbert is planning a next chapter by creating a sort of United Nations of orchestras.

Dubbed Musicians for Unity, Gilbert envisions a group of artists from around the world who can come together at short notice.