We need the ASO

On Monday night, I attended the first rehearsal of my seventh season as a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus. We greeted friends, congratulated our newest members and celebrated our veterans, and settled into the familiarity of the ASOC warmup before jumping into Beethoven and Ralph Vaughan Williams. We did this all with a heavy weight on our shoulders. We stand behind the musicians of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra literally and figuratively, and we are disappointed, heartbroken, and angry. We are disappointed, heartbroken, and angry that our friends in the ASO are locked out. We are disappointed, heartbroken, and angry that this season and this orchestra are in jeopardy.

Toward the end of my second season with the ASOC, overcome with happiness and anticipation while preparing to sing the Verdi Requiem, I wrote about the joys of singing with the group: it has been a wonderful experience getting to know these works for the first time. My fellow singers are getting to share something that they love with someone who has never heard it before. It is as if I am being invited to join in something important that has been going on for a very long time. The experience is like unwrapping a gift when everyone else already knows what it is and can't wait for you to get it open.

At the start of my seventh season, it feels the same. My heart leaps just thinking about what it feels like to unwrap a new work. I see and hear new things each week as the work becomes a part of me, but nothing compares to what I experience on stage with the musicians of the ASO. Our “back row seats” on the choral risers allow us to watch great music unfold. The artistry and emotion that the players express is beautiful to witness, and it is a great privilege to be a part of that music making.

Aside from my convictions as a member of the ASOC, I care deeply about the ASO as a patron and educator as well. I am an elementary school music teacher, and the education programs at the Atlanta Symphony are essential to the arts community in Atlanta. My students have attended the ASO’s Concerts for Young People, and they learn so much and are so excited about the music that they hear. My students were especially inspired by the performance of a young graduate of the Talent Development Program at last year’s concerts, another testament to the success and importance of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in our community. I sincerely hope that my students, along with the rest of Atlanta, are not denied the experience of hearing this great orchestra this season.

I am a better musician, a better teacher, and a better person because of the experiences I have had making music with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. I have outlined several reasons why the ASO is special to me, and I hope this lockout ends. Most importantly, however, I hope that the members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will be valued and respected as the incredible musicians and people they are. I need the ASO. Atlanta needs the ASO. I look forward to making music with the wonderful musicians of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra again. They deserve our support as a world-class orchestra, and they deserve to be heard.

Meaghan Curry
#318