Composer attacks concert hall

More trouble at the Västerås Sinfonietta, a 130 year-old ensemble that is being progressively shut down by its Swedish host town, which built a new concert hall in 2002.

This may be one more symptom to add to Sweden’s growing classical music emergency.

The musicians’ salaries were cut last year. They have now been cut again.

The international composer and conductor Christian Lindberg has sent the following protest to Slipped Disc:

It is a total shame that, despite the fact that the whole Swedish media heavily condemned the plans on cutting Västerås Sinfonietta´s budget, the management of the Västerås concerthall has decided to cut the musicians salaries from 60% of full salary to 50%. The only thing that would bite on these decisionmakers totally immune to criticism would be if we all refuse to perform (except together with the Sinfonietta) in the Västerås Concerthall until the musicians get the 10% back that they so much need and deserve.

Christian Lindberg.