A former record exec, Gelb runs the Metropolitan Opera, which he took over in 2006 following the departure of Joe Volpe.

Gelb was raised in New York; his father, Arthur Gelb, spent 45 years at the New York Times and later oversaw the paper as its longtime (and well-respected) managing editor. Starting his career at the Met as usher when he was in high school, he began his career as assistant manager at the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the 1970s, then in 1981 joined Columbia Artists Management, where he represented musicians like pianist Vladimir Horowitz and produced Met broadcasts for PBS. After Columbia Artists was acquired by Sony Music in the early 1990s, Gelb took over Sony's classical music division, which became the largest classical music label in the U.S. following the merger. During his decade-long tenure, Gelb shifted the company away from traditional classical music, cutting back on standards like Beethoven and Brahms in favor of film soundtracks and crossover projects. In 2004, Gelb was tapped to replace longtime general manager Joe Volpe, who'd started at the Met in the 1960s as an apprentice carpenter. Gelb and Volpe spent a transitional year as co-managers before Gelb assumed the top spot in 2006.

Given Gelb's track record at Sony Classical, opera diehards weren't especially thrilled by the pick. But given waning interest in opera and declining ticket sales, the board of the Met was hoping Gelb could bring new life to the storied opera house, without diminishing its prestige. Since taking over, he's shaken things up by commissioning a number of new operas, luring prominent Broadway and film talent to the stage and introducing a number of new technological innovations like the sometimes-distracting surtitles, shown above the stage during productions. (They cause purists to cringe.) Other initiatives Gelb has championed in the last couple of years: He launched an aggressive marketing campaign to raise the Met's visibility, instituted a plan to sell sharply discounted last-minute tickets, set up singles nights at the opera for both straights and gays. [Image via Getty]