Youth orchestra director is fired amid claims of board fraud

There’s a bit of a fuss in Australia over the sacking of the ‘beloved and esteemed’ Artistic Director of the Sydney Youth Orchestra, Max McBride. McBride is a former principal double-bass of the Sydney Symphony and Australian Chamber orchestras, a popular and highly competent teacher.

No cause has been given for his dismissal, but what is giving rise to concern is the ‘deceitful’ way new applicants have been made to pay audition fees to the orchestra believing Max McBride to be in charge, when he was not. Here’s what appears in a petition for the board’s dismissal:

Max was touted on audition marketing collateral as being the Artistic Director without any indication that this arrangement would not continue, and I am disgusted by the way that SYO collected application fees from hundreds of applicants who believed this to be the case. Whilst SYO members have been informed, albeit conveniently after they have wasted time preparing an audition, I am yet shocked at the fact that new applicants have been kept in the dark.

Another case of young artists being ripped off by young artist programs?