Italian maestro calls Rome Opera sackings ‘shameful’

The great violinist Salvatore Accardo, returning home from a tour of China, discovered to his horror that Rome Opera had sacked its orchestra and chorus.

He said today:

‘What has happened in Rome – the dismissal of 182 musicians in the most prestigious theater of our capital city – is a shameful thing, not only for the infamous decision to abolish an orchestra, but also because it falsely justifies an indecent act. They want ​​the public to believe that the only ones responsible for years of mismanagement and holes in the budget are the musicians of the orchestra. Crazy.’

He added:

‘People abroad are horrified, and I emphasize, horrified at the story of the Opera di Roma. The heads of the Opera have said that these procedures – ‘outsourcing’ the orchestra – are done everywhere. But that’s not true. In Germany, Switzerland, France, the United States no one comes to mind who has dismissed the orchestra and relied on ad hoc orchestras.’