News: ASO postpones start of the season; board member criticizes lockout, resigns in protest | September 22, 2014 ArtsATL.com
Criticism of the Woodruff Arts Center (WAC), the ASO’s parent company, is mounting. On Monday, a former ASO board member, Ron Antinori, told ArtsATL that he stepped down from his position last week, saying he felt powerless and had come to the conclusion he could do more to resolve the current standoff as an adviser for the musicians.
Spano and Runnicles, right, have expressed concerns about the ASO’s artistic future.
“I didn’t feel that my voice and my opinions as a board member had much of an effect on what was happening,” Antinori said, noting that he did not know that management was planning to lock musicians out until just two days before the deadline for contract negotiations. “I am not privy to what WAC’s motivation is. That’s the elephant in the room. All I know is what I’ve heard: ‘We need to balance the budget.’ Am I suspicious? I honestly just don’t know. There does seem to be a mentality of ‘We don’t care if we destroy the orchestra as long as we balance the budget.’”
Spano and Runnicles, right, have expressed concerns about the ASO’s artistic future.
“I didn’t feel that my voice and my opinions as a board member had much of an effect on what was happening,” Antinori said, noting that he did not know that management was planning to lock musicians out until just two days before the deadline for contract negotiations. “I am not privy to what WAC’s motivation is. That’s the elephant in the room. All I know is what I’ve heard: ‘We need to balance the budget.’ Am I suspicious? I honestly just don’t know. There does seem to be a mentality of ‘We don’t care if we destroy the orchestra as long as we balance the budget.’”
The opening of the orchestra’s 70th season is on hold. (Photo by Jeff Roffman)
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