September 23, 2012
Dear Ms. Hepner:
I am writing to you
with grave concern for the future of our world class Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra and Chorus. I have been a member of the Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra Chorus since 2003 when I moved to Atlanta to practice law with
Troutman Sanders, LLP. Over the last nine years, I have had the
awesome opportunity to travel to Berlin and to Carnegie Hall several
times, and to perform here in Atlanta with some of the most talented
musicians I have ever known. Not only are the members of the ASO and
ASOC the creme de la creme when it comes to our craft, but we are also
members of the same family - the ASO family. And we support our family
members not only in good times, but in bad times as well.
I do not seek to impose my own personal judgment on the financial
cuts both sides have proposed during these labor negotiations, or the
budgetary issues which rest squarely on your shoulders. There are
undeniable economic concerns for the future of our organization which
must be addressed to move forward. Above all else, however, the integrity and respect for our musicians, both in the ASO and ASOC, must be maintained. Unfortunately, this has not been the case, both privately and publicly.
Tomorrow night the volunteers of the ASOC will rehearse at the
Woodruff Arts Center even though our family in the ASO has been denied
access to it. We will continue to rehearse even though Mr. Romanstein
has threatened that our concert stage will be dark next month. We will
continue to rehearse because regardless of how each of us may feel about
the current situation, we all believe in the power of music.
It is my sincere hope that you will uplift the power of music over
the economic issues of the day, and keep the candle burning brightly for
our ASO family.
Best regards.
Sincerely,
Andrea D. Seeney
cc: Atlanta Symphony Musicians
cc: Stanley Romanstein, Ph.D
cc: Jim Abrahamson
Thank you kindly, Andrea; I feel much the same way - that our fellow musicians have been shown little respect and that integrity and compromise have been given a black eye through this process.
ReplyDeleteIt was an excellent rehearsal, I have to say. Your image of the ASO and ASOC as a family is very powerful ... and if this family isn't able to perform the Bernstein and Walton in NY, it will be a deep and bitter disappointment. You watch, though, ASO Management will try to force public opinion to make this out to be the musicians' fault. That's been their strategy so far.
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