DSO Update

I don't live near Detroit, but, as a music lover, I've been following the Detroit Symphony Orchestra strike with interest.

Here's part of an open letter from the Board of Directors and members of Save Our Symphony:

To Whom It May Concern:

As you are no doubt aware, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra is at a crisis point as the impasse between the musicians and the management enters its fourth month. In her recent letter to the DSO Board of Directors, Anne Parsons, President and CEO of the DSO, wrote that it may be time to:

“suspend the remainder of the 2010-11 season, as well as indefinitely defer the announcement of the 2011-12 season”

Save Our Symphony, Inc., an organization made up of DSO patrons, donors, subscribers, business owners and community members, fears that the former, and certainly the latter, will cause the end of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. This fabulous organization which has been nurtured by generations of citizens of our city and state, as well as the international community of arts lovers, could come to an end because of the decisions being made by a small handful of people.

This does not need to be the case.

After the musicians agreed to the 25% salary reduction suggested by former Governor Granholm and Senator Levin, the annual working capital deficit of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra has been reduced to a manageable level. Furthermore, this deficit can be eliminated entirely in the future by Michigan’s improving economy which should increase not only concert ticket revenues but also donations (both large and small) to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra...

...Save Our Symphony feels that what is most desperately required at this point is for local civic, government and business leaders, as well as local media personalities who care about the future of metropolitan Detroit, to prevail upon the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Board and management to quickly get back to the bargaining table and agree upon a contract that will preserve a world class orchestra...

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If you'd like to sign the SOS (Save Our Symphony) petition, go here.

Updated on Jan. 22nd to add: The management began talks with the musicians again on Jan. 19th. Here's hoping something good comes out of it!

Jan 24th update: Nothing good came of it. Rats. Visit Save our Symphony to keep up with their current events and news.