  We study a system of $N$ non-intersecting $(1+1)$-dimensional fluctuating
elastic interfaces (`vicious bridges') at thermal equilibrium, each subject to
periodic boundary condition in the longitudinal direction and in presence of a
substrate that induces an external confining potential for each interface. We
show that, for a large system and with an appropriate choice of the external
confining potential, the joint distribution of the heights of the $N$
non-intersecting interfaces at a fixed point on the substrate can be mapped to
the joint distribution of the eigenvalues of a Wishart matrix of size $N$ with
complex entries (Dyson index $\beta=2$), thus providing a physical realization
of the Wishart matrix. Exploiting this analogy to random matrix, we calculate
analytically (i) the average density of states of the interfaces (ii) the
height distribution of the uppermost and lowermost interfaces (extrema) and
(iii) the asymptotic (large $N$) distribution of the center of mass of the
interfaces. In the last case, we show that the probability density of the
center of mass has an essential singularity around its peak which is shown to
be a direct consequence of a phase transition in an associated Coulomb gas
problem.
