We support the Atlanta Symphony Musicians

The Musicians of the Nashville Symphony would like to offer their support and encouragement to the Atlanta Symphony Musicians as they have recently been locked out by management for the second time in two years. The behavior of the Woodruff Arts Center and ASO Managements is deplorable, and we call on these parties to return to the negotiating table in good faith. The musicians have offered to continue to play under their previous concessionary terms of employment while negotiations continue, as we are currently doing now in Nashville while we’re negotiating our contract renewal. We encourage everyone to visit the musicians’ website, atlsymphonymusicians.com, and social media outlets to learn the facts and offer what support you can. This great symphony is once again under the threat of such cuts that would destroy the orchestra’s artistic integrity and deliver a severe blow to the rich cultural history that Atlanta has enjoyed for many years. We stand with our neighboring colleagues in their pursuit to uphold the highest artistic standards, serve the community, and protect their livelihood, so that the Atlanta Symphony can remain a musical beacon for generations to come.



In Solidarity,

The Musicians of the Nashville Symphony

Dear Atlanta Symphony Musicians, The Musicians of the Utah Symphony stand in unwavering solidarity with our friends and colleagues in the Atlanta Symphony as they fight courageously to preserve the legacy of their great orchestra. We are sending an initial donation of $5,000 to support their efforts and encourage all lovers of great music and art to visit the Atlanta Symphony Musicians' website at http://www.atlsymphonymusicians.com/ to join us in supporting this vital cause. As Atlanta Symphony Maestros Robert Spano and Donald Runnicles so eloquently stated in a letter to the ASO board, "Sustainability must also be applied to a quality of the orchestra and the notion of excellence, not only to finances. There are artistic lines that cannot and must not be crossed." WAC's stated desire for maintaining artistic excellence while at the same time reducing the orchestra's size and compensation are utterly incompatible. There are fundamental artistic requirements necessitating a major orchestra to have a full compliment of players. One cannot present an exceptional concert with a third of the players missing or replaced, any more than one can feature Lang Lang on a baby grand with a third of the keys sticking. We urge WAC, The ASO Management, and the ASO board to join their musicians in seeking a reasonable contract that preserves and continues the exceptional musical legacy of the Atlanta Symphony. We remind those parties that the Atlanta Symphony Musicians are willing to go back to work immediately under the terms of their concessionary contract of two years ago while negotiations continue, preventing further damage to the reputation of this great orchestra. Once again, in the words of Runnicles and Spano: "Two years ago, our musicians accepted huge concessions with an expectation that, in so doing, both board and management would be able to steer the organization out of financial distress. 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." In Solidarity, The Musicians of the Utah Symphony

September 14, 2014

To the Musicians of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra,

The Buffalo Philharmonic Musicians are appalled by the manner in which the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Woodruff Arts Center have chosen to conduct themselves in your most recent contract negotiation, ultimately resorting to the barbaric tactic of a lock-out. The demands being sought by the ASO and WAC upon the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Musicians are incomprehensible, and a direct assault on the Art form of which the ASO and WAC are supposedly stewards.

The Atlanta Symphony has been a leading American orchestra for decades, and a cultural treasure of the City of Atlanta, State of Georgia, the Southeastern United States, and the country as a whole. The leadership steering this organization towards destruction has lost touch with the ideals of which they have been entrusted, and has forsaken the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra family and the community of Atlanta as a whole.

We, the Buffalo Philharmonic Musicians, stand by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Musicians in this time of strife, support your cause, and encourage you to stay strong throughout this ordeal. Your artistic excellence and commitment to your Art and community encourage us all.