Robert Spano
(c) Atlanta Symphony
Facing the lockout of their musicians, Music Director Robert Spano and Donald Runnicles, the orchestra’s principal guest conductor, wrote a letter to the Board of the Atlanta Symphony in which they say: “We ask the board and management to acknowledge the sacrifice the musicians have already made, and to examine other ways and areas to establish sustainability.”
It is rare that conductors back the claim of the musicians. In this case, after a first reduction by 15% in 2012, the management is asking for new pay cuts to reduce the orchestra’s deficit – $2 million last year – and stop the decreasing of the endowment (around $70 million, from $98.5 million in 2007).
