Easy To Deal With

“My life so far has been a dream. A dream that came true,” said Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert, in a recent interview.*

Those who are so richly blessed by fate often share that good fortune with the world through kindness. In Nézet-Séguin’s case, it is palpable.

His relationship with the Vienna Philharmonic has grown steadily over the past 15 years. In 2022, during a three-day guest performance in New York’s Carnegie Hall, the orchestra suddenly found itself without a conductor. They turned to Yannick Nézet-Séguin for help, but he was already in the middle of intense rehearsals for a new production of Don Carlos at the Metropolitan Opera.

The Philharmonic tried to rework their schedule. It became increasingly complicated.

In the end, Nézet-Séguin cut through the Gordian knot: “I’ll do it and we’ll keep all the programs as planned.” He later described the rehearsals and performances in the Met’s orchestra pit and at Carnegie Hall as a pure adrenaline rush. He gave up sleep and recovery, but in doing so laid the foundation for his invitation to conduct the New Year’s Concert in 2026. Even today, the orchestra’s chairman, Daniel Froschauer, struggles to find the right words when he recalls that moment. A tremendous weight, he says, was lifted from his shoulders.

A Tradition That Endures

Around 50 million viewers in 150 countries watch the New Year’s Concert each year. For more than 180 years, the Vienna Philharmonic has not only preserved but continually strengthened its exceptional place in music history – praised by figures such as Richard Wagner, Anton Bruckner, Johannes Brahms, and Gustav Mahler.

Whether in music or in private banking, being easy to deal with is a rare art and all the more valued for it. In banking, there are things we cannot spare our clients – regulatory obligations come to mind. But even there, and everywhere else, our Gutmann credo applies: We’ll take care of it. And we’ve been doing so for more than 100 years.