The Ringing Cellphone at the NY Phil's Performance of Mahler 9

Last week, during a moving performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 9 with the New York Philharmonic, the New York Times reported a strange incident of a ringing cellphone.  Sadly, these kinds of interruptions are all too common, not only during a classical music performance, but even at the movie theater.  (Perhaps, it's time to move "not turning off your cellphone" to the top of the list of ways to ruin a classical music concert.)  What makes this incident so unique, is that the phone began ringing during the final passages of the symphony - one's that are calm, quiet, reflective, and cathartic (the release the entire symphony builds up to), AND it came from the front row directly behind the conductor, Alan Gilbert.  Normally, the phone is silenced within the first few seconds of ringing, but this phone rang and rang and rang and rang, causing the conductor to stop the entire performance until the matter was resolved.  Audience members were shouting and becoming angrier by the minute.  Finally, after the phone was silenced, Gilbert lead the orchestra to finish the piece.  The culprit was later interviewed anonymously, giving his apologizes directly to Gilbert.  After reading his statement, we should give him a pass.  But next time, as my friend stated, "Turn the phone off. Better yet, leave it at home - it's not difficult. Why spend the money on a concert ticket if you can't disconnect for two hours..."