Philadelphia Orchestra still far short of safety target as players flee
mainThe board has raised $35.5 million towards an immediate $44 million target, but that’s way short of the $160 million needed to stay afloat.
Meanwhile, Peter Dobrin reports that three principal players have fled to other orchestras and a fourth, trombonist Nitzan Haroz, 
is auditioning for Los Angeles. Dobrin fears a further wave of defections and warns that the very character of the orchestra is being undermined.
UPDATE here.
Ricardo Morales (principal clarinet) to NYPhil, David Bilger (principal trumpet) trying out a teaching position at U of Georgia, Nitzan Haroz (principal trombone) to LAPhil, Efe Batacigil (Associate principal cello) to Seattle Symphony as principal, Jose Maria Blumenschein (associate concertmaster) to concertmaster in Cologne, Germany,,,,and I hear (ex-Philadelphian speaking) that other VERY highly placed players are looking, or already have future commitments to jobs elsewhere including professorships at important University-connected music schools. The Muti-Sawallisch-Eschenbach appointments were among the greatest in the history of this great orchestra. Where will they go ? (as one Board members recently asked as if they had no options). Like the gorilla, they can go anywhere they want. Incoming MD Yannick Nezet-Seguin is very talented with lots of charisma, he’s going to need every ounce of it to overcome these personnel changes. Also not mentioned in the local Press, is the impact these changes will have on area schools (Curtis and Temple U among others) where these great artists teach. May these self-inflicted dark days in PHL pass quickly.