Jerusalem Symphony humiliates senior player
OrchestrasThe orchestra management has issued a brutal demand to Michael Lam, 63, oboist and cor anglais player, to attend a reaudition or be dismissed without pension.
The orchestra’s MD, Ofer Amsalem, wrote to him that he had failed a probationary three months after music director, Julian Rachlin, criticised his playing. The only option now was to play an audition for his own job, as other players are having to do.
Lam says: ‘After Mr. Julian Rachlin expressed his dissatisfaction with my playing, I informed Mr. Amsalem that I did not intend to cause any problems, I only asked for a respectable retirement agreement. I am 63 years old, in a country where there is a war, the economic situation is not easy, I will not be able to find anywhere that would want to employ me until retirement, I have a family and children that I support and to go out now to the free market, for me it is a death blow.
‘The idea of giving me a trial period and a repeat audition was intended to make me leave voluntarily without a retirement agreement at all, it is not only humiliating, it is mainly inappropriate and disrespectful. (To everyone by the way).’
Disrespectful and humiliating sounds about right.
That is really nasty stuff. An experienced musician deserves better treatment.
I bet management is bound in their actions by the terms and conditions of the collective bargaining agreement, and more specifically a section of the agreement that was designed by the union, not management.
So the Union insists on management humiliating staff?
You seem a might confused about what Unions do.
Management always has the power to do the right thing.
This is currently happening at the LSO, forcing out older players who are more than capable. It has caused a toxic workplace. Rough days ahead. Why isn’t this being reported?
Are those older musicians British by any chance….?
Sadly it’s been the same at the BBC Symphony Orchestra. The American orchestras let their players play well into their eighties.
I agree. Disgraceful and humiliating. Andy, you are wrong. Israel has made it a fine art.
Hmmm, let me try to understand, if you do a satisfactory job, you have to work until retirement age to retire, but if you do an unsatisfactory job, you should be able to retire early?
Seems you don’t get a pension if fired. Not clear.
They don’t care about him, they just want to save his pension payments. Disgraceful. Who listens to the Jerusalem Symphony anyway, outside of Jerusalem I mean?
Aren’t you cutting off your nose to spite your face? I mean, if you claim that no one listens to the Jerusalem Symphony anyway, doesn’t that support their position that they have no money to pay out pensions to everybody, so they must be rigorous in applying their standards?
Your second sentence effectively cancels your first statement won’t you say so?
True. Like what the government does to Israeli Arab citizens every day.
You might want to keep your antisemitism to yourself. Arab citizens of Israel are well treated, well represented in parliament and are given equal rights in every way. Also this has absolutely nothing to do with the issue discussed here, which is mistreatment of a well respected musician and long-standing member of the orchestra.
If this was happening in America, as it does regularly, you wouldn’t start discussing the policies of the president either. Stay on topic and keep your bile to yourself or at least leave it in the appropriate place.
https://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2024/02/the-many-civil-and-human-rights-challenges-facing-israels-palestinian-citizens?lang=en
You’re not quite right, either.
How, exactly?
An intelligent Idiot keeps his ignorance to himself…un unintelligent idiot wants the world to know him …
Abu Faragian (1423-14 71)
In 1948, 8% of Israel’s population were Arabs. Today, its 20%. So what ever Israel does to its
Arab citizen, it can’t be that bad, otherwise they would leave. And it is certainly better than what most Arab states do to theirs, which is causing the increasing flood of Arab refugees to the West.
Basically all Israeli citizens loving classical music in Israel since they perform around the country, and a large amount of audience from around the world coming to their concerts when on tour from Asia to south America. That’s who.
Shame on you for being so small minded and hateful.
Don’t they have unions in Israel? Even if the gentleman is past it as a player, he should be allowed to retire with a reduced pension. But to bully him into retiring without a pension is just vile.
Michael Lam is a very fine oboist and English Horn player. He can teach Mr. Amsalem a great deal about Music – and proper behavior.
Perhaps you know him personally, but most of the support here – for this oboist – are from people who have a very clear pre-conception about a certain nation/place.
Everyone in the story is Jewish.
What’s your point?
Niet !
Probably Rachlin too
This is a bit confusing. Why is there a 3 month probationary period on a player who already has been a member of this organisation and approaching retirement age? Or is he a new member of the ensemble? Obviously he has played the audition to be accepted when he entered the group, to use a “probationary” time frame is now obviously psychological bullying. Give him his retirement with his pensión, corresponding to his years of service.
This happens in the US more than you’d think. Players don’t usually go public about it. You hear it in the back channels.
When MTT first came to SF back in the day he also tried to “clean house”. One of his first targets was Principal Oboe Marc Lifschey, once the pride & joy of George Szell in Cleveland. MTT offered Mr. Lifschey 2nd oboe. He refused. Not sure what deal they struck, but Mr. Lifschey did resign. He was not yet of retirement age. I remember the tragedy of watching this storied player flounder for employment in the following years. He finally landed a teaching position years later.
MTT also tried this with another prominent principal in SF & it did not go well. This player, a fine & legendary musician, also happened to be a brilliant businessman. He was lot smarter than MTT and more determined. He knew the laws, had a good attorney & was very personable. He kept his job, played under his nemesis MTT for years after that & finally retired when he felt like it, long past his retirement age. He quipped “Just don’t invite MTT to my retirement party.” He went on to become one of the world’s longest serving orchestral players of all time.
When will young & middle-agey conductors ever learn that you don’t do this to veteran players? Music directors are hired on a temporary basis, with renewable contracts that are for, what – 2 – 4 years at a time? They get big bucks for this. They seem to think that the tenured players they conduct, who make a lot less money, are also there temporarily.
If you’re a new MD & you have a problem with a veteran, tenured player, you work it out privately & you offer them something which is mutually attractive. Forcing someone to reaudition is ridiculous. It’s childish at best. You can tell this MD is from Lithuania.
To all MD’s: just stop doing this. Trying to get rid of long-time, older veteran players is ALWAYS going to come back & bite you in the butt. Tread carefully. They are usually a lot smarter than you are. Find another way.
What is the meaning of that dig against Lithuanians? I’m mystified…
Correction to my previous post. Marc Lifschey left SF in 1986, right after Herbert Blomstedt began his Music Directorship there. So it must have been Blomstedt, not MTT who ousted him from the Principal Oboe position. My apologies for the error.
The other Principal player I mentioned came later. This all came down behind the scenes, and the player in question never left the orch so it’s hard to pinpoint. His animosity & elegant defiance of the MD are clear in my memory, the date not so much.
My apologies for my poor memory & the error.
Interesting tale of Lifschey, who had been fired by Szell years earlier. MTT was trying to help him by offering the 2nd oboe spot and he destroyed himself by refusing.
It happens in Universities. In the USA & Australia as I know for fact.
So, of course it happens in orchestras too.
If I’m not mistaken, Lifschey retired from the San Francisco Symphony in 1986, early in the Blomstedt era. MTT’s tenure in SF didn’t begin until 1995.
Correct. That’s why I corrected my post. Thanks!
I think your timeline might be off. Lifschey retired in 1986, when Blomstedt was the MD. MTT didn’t become the MD until 1995.
What’s with the slur against a Lithuania? This must be a Ruzzian warmonger.
Anon, I appreciate your respect for incredible musicians like the legendary Marc Lifschey, but he left San Francisco long before MTT arrived, it was around the EDW and HB directorships and his playing was slipping noticably. I believe Blomstedt offered for him to move down to the second oboe position, as is not uncommon in European orchestras. There are only so many years a principal oboist can be tormented by those pesky reeds and he later had a wonderful tenure at Indiana University thanks to the support of his former Cleveland concertmaster, and treasured IU professor, Josef Gingold.
Marc Lifschey retired 8 years before MTT became MD in SF. William Bennett was principal Oboe at the start of his tenure.
Right. Noted. My mistake – it happened under Blomstedt, not MTT. Thanks!
Well, that’s what I call toxic management. Absolutely despicable.
I hope the orchestra is unionised . It sounds as if Rachlin is like some of the conductors of the UKs bad old days prior to self governing orchestras selecting their own.
Remember all symphonies are cover bands…at the CSO we had the french horn situation and concert master violinist daughters situation…leave the drama for your mamma!!!…just play the hits…
He should not re-audition under any circumstances. If he does, then no matter how well he plays, they will fire him. If he refuses to re-audition, then the onus is on them to prove that after so long playing with the JSO, he is not good enough to continue. He could take the JSO to court and most likely win on various grounds. Make a deal JSO, otherwise you will end up paying much more in the end.
Perhaps he can avoid auditions on health bases? And keeps avoiding them till the retirement…
Anyways, he should play the card of mobbing – and direct to health issues that that approach is causing him. Cruel thing. Support to Mr. Lam.
Rachlin –
Disrespectful and actually cruel to the oboist. Is there no mediation possible. Give the gentleman is pension. There must have been times that he played well. Mr Hein clarinettist
This is particularly outrageous as Rachlin is not even a professional conductor. A past-his-peak vilonist who tries to use/abuse the Jerusalem Symphony as a springboard for a (likely mediocre) conducting career. This is an embattled orchestra which will nowdisappear into oblivion.
What instrument do you play in JSO?
Sounds like classic constructive dismissal. Capitalism today!
Julian Rachlin – a conductor? Ask the Northern Sinfonia.
What Northen Sinfonia is? Never heard the name.
Rachlin is worldknown musician
This is very sad, disappointing and cruel. A player serves his orchestra faithfully and loyally for many years (after winning a highly competitive audition in his prime), now to be discarded possibly without pension? This is not the way to treat people. There are better, more compassionate ways to make personnel changes, if the organization wishes such.
He served another orchestra, not jso.
They’ve merged with jso after collapse.
So, 30 players of his former orchestra are still working in jso.
The question is only to give him early pension, so-called.
Thats all.
He will get it.
There is an option in israely emploiment law
Where are these statements come from?
It’s very inaccurate. Only about 10 players joined from the merge, and there are no laws about early retirement.
This so-called music director, who is not even a professional conductor, probably doesn’t even know the tonal range of the oboe. Instead of paying respect to experienced orchestra musicians, he uses them to live out his sleazy lust for power. I feel sorry for them who have to endure his in front of the mirror choreographed and trained movements.
Re-audition is a complete waste of time for a musician. You have been fired so file a grievance with the union if there is one, or start looking for another job. It’s over you’re gone! Management only wants a nice easy excuse to fire you.
If the orchestra decides to rally behind Mr. Lam, this is going to end VERY badly for Mr. Amsalem. I’ve witnessed all-out war between core ensemble and conductor before, in a different orchestra, and if it comes to that… Amsalem is going to lose even if he wins. Hell, “winning” this battle might be the worst thing that could happen to him.
A US musician recently described a haughty European conductor, who was full of himself and rude to the orchestra players. One evening, at a concert, the conductor was welcomed by the audience. When the applause died down, he gave the down beat. Nothing. Looking annoyed, he again motioned the down beat. Silence. Then after a pause, the Leader shouted, “it’s not your f***ing baton that makes the music!”
I hope the members of this orchestra will stand as one and remind the authorities that it is the musicians who make the f***ing music”.
It sounds horrible and it could well be so. But isn’t it standard journalistic practice to “reach out” to the other side? The last time you reported on the shake-up at JSO, someone from management commented, putting things in a different light. You, too, have to play fair.
Every time this guy plays with the orchestra is an audition. If the MD doesn’t hear this then he’s just doing something entirely ruthless to the poor man. It’s unconscionable.
This happened in Sydney, Au. in the mid-sixties when they hired Dean Dixon to conduct the orch. After the first rehearsal he began auditioning the players, some of whom had been with the orch. for decades and really didn’t play well anymore. They were replaced with younger players and the orch. began to sound like a professional ensemble. He introduced new music, a young persons concert series where 20th C. music was incorporated, including Australian composers whose work had never been performed in Australia. Two years later he was fired. The upshot of the story is; if it’s broke, don’t fix it. There was also a lot of resentment that he was American and Black. This was at a time when Black and White performers were not allowed on the stage together.
I was a teenager in Melbourne when Mr Dixon was appointed in Sydney, where he succeeded Sir Bernard Heinz, who had been there since a few weeks after the arrival of the First Fleet. It was rumoured that Sir Bernard didn’t work his players too hard, in return for which, the orchestra always put in a less polished performance for visiting conductors ensuring that Sir Bernard kept his job.
Sydney, however, was, and still is, in NSW and not Arkansas, although I believe the White Australia immigration policy was still in force at the time. Most of us were very proud to have a black American appointed to such a senior position.
I don’t know if Mr Dixon initiated youth concerts in Sydney but we certainly had them in Melbourne, and we were treated to the same soloists as the main subscription series. I remember Maureen Forester and Ruggiero Ricci for example.
Moral of the story, don’t become a professional symphony musician. The pay is mediocre and the retirement prospects are even worse. This betrays the profession and art form.
They don’t want to pay his pension
Shameful. But predictable.
Maybe go to Gaza, lots of fine venues to play, quiet neighbourhoods where the appreciative audience can sit in silence, few noisy children disrupting the performance, no mobile phones going off.
Considering how secular music is viewed in fundamentalist Islam, I would think twice before writing such a snarky comment.
Oh right cause between 1948-1967 the west bank unoccupied by Israel was full of Palestinian orchestras… You got any recordings?
It sound like he has no union protections in this circumstance, not if the conductor was able to demand that everyone re-audition, which sounds like no one really has “tenure” anyway.
Time to hang out a shingle and take in students.
As far as a war going on… the Israeli has pursued it far beyond any useful measure. They seem to be fighting so they can say they’re still fighting.
Incredible as unacceptable!
Nobody should be going through such an disrespectful situation.
Seems to me that disgraceful would be perhaps more appropriate.
Mind you, Rachlin is an exceptionally gifted fiddler. Easily the finest musician to come out of the Young Musician If the Year competition at (I think) thirteen years old, with a truly magnificent performance (but any standards) of Vieuxtemps. Absolute geniuses such as Rachlin have no idea of the struggles of lesser morals: Rachlin is pure Auer school, in the same lineage as Milstein and Heifetz…
‘morals’ should read ‘mortals’.
This cynical move stinks to high heaven! This management needs their arse kicking! Disgusting!
If the new conductor wanted to change how the last one did things he need have a handout to each member. It was totally wrong to reprimand a player in front of his peers with his job! It’s obvious he loves power to threaten the oboist at his age.
For clarity, Mr Lam’s statement does not actually said that they won’t pay his pension.
What he states is that the ‘retirement agreement’ he sought has been refused.
There is a big difference.
What a disgrace!
What happened to the JSO since Rachlin entered the orchestra?
Is he really such a tyrant?
They have big plans touring in Europe. Is this how the management wants to go on tour?
First reauditioning all trumpets, clarinets and flutes, and now doing this to a player who’s so close to retirement?
Why?
Shame shame shame
They should all stand together and go on strike, the companies would then think twice before employing the bullying dismissal actions of the older musicians.
They Barred the Music of Richard Wagner. The greatest composer of our time as he believed in Christianity
No… Wagner was performed in Tel- Aviv & Jerusalem before WW2. Later his antisemitism and Nazi connection made it unacceptable to the public. Christian sacred music is often performed.
I’m not sure Wagner was Christian. He believed, however, in fairy tales.
Well you win the prize for the most stupid comment. Wagner was a great composer but a poor Christian, since “Christ” first rule was LOVE. And Wagner hated so many people, and Jews above all -as you certainly do. Or have you not read “Judaism in Music” with the famous ending punchline “as for the Jews there is only one way of salvation, the way of Hahasverus, annihilation (via assimilation in some version). What a great Christian indeed ! (Should he include Jesus the Jewish prophet in his wish for extermination????) “THEY barred Wagner?” What do you mean? The players of JSO? no, of course you thought so thought that one can hear you from Paris (where I stand) “the Jews!!!! Of course”, oops sorry I meant “the Israelis”.
He is an excellent oboe player.
It is not fair
He already proved himself so many years; playing so many wonderful concerts.
He should be praised and not humiliated.
Julian Rachlin started all this. Shame on him if this is truly how this situation transpired. I’m used to pencil pushers treating musicians badly, but a fellow musician? Appalling.
I have always considered firing or re-auditioning a player being a failure from the music director. And as the MD of JSO for two tenures since 1999, I have always looked for better ways to deal with a problem when a problem occurred. The same I did in the equivalent positions in France, Germany or USA. Because I consider the first responsibility of a MD is to hire the best players right away, to avoid future problems. In the span of 24 years I have hired some 60% of the players I left in 2019. I don’t know Michael well so I won’t say a word about him. But an important fact should be in the body of this post: JSO has recently be merged with Netanhya Kibbutz Orchestra -of which Michael was a player- and it is always lethal to mix two orchestra with their different perosnnalities. This doesn’t justify the current situation but it puts it into a light that helps understanding the hows and the whys , at least that’s what I believe.
Mr. Chaslin, thank you for weighing in here. Your perspective is important.
Your opening statement is excellent but you follow with ” I consider the first responsibility of a MD is to hire the best players right away”. That’s exactly the problem here.
This is what Mr. Lam is facing in this scenario and it’s the issue for every player nearing retirement in every orchestra around the world.
New music directors who come in on high-paying (or at least higher paying than musicians) temporary contracts ALWAYS want to hire “the best players”. We’re telling you that you should not be able to do that at the expense of older, veteran players. Mr. Rachlin – as is every music director – was hired to lead a given orch., not to create his own personal orchestral dream team under the name of the orchestra who hired him.
Too many music directors think it’s their God-given right to oust older players to bring in “the best players”. We are telling you and every new music director that no, ethically and professionally you should not be able to do that.
Orch players are hired and pass tenure to give our profession job security, to make it a real profession, not another freelance job. When you force older players to reaudition or fire them before they can claim their pension you blow that out of the water. You make orchestral playing a hobby, not a profession. Orch players everywhere face the risk of ending up on the street after age 50, despite having been given tenure.
Music directors MUST learn to recognize this. You don’t get your way here. You must respect your older players and the fact that they need a pension. A Music Director is not just a conductor. You’re not just there to wave your arms around. A Music Director is responsible for the welfare of every musician in the orch. That includes older, veteran players. If an older player is impeding your artistic goals, you treat that situation DELICATELY. You find a solution to respect and protect that player while achieving your own goals. If you don’t have a solution, you leave that player alone. You certainly don’t force them to “reaudition”!
We miss you Chasy!!!
We live in such a strange time. You can write anything, publish anything, you don’t need to check facts, you don’t even need to think a bit deeply. Everyone publishes what they want and the angry crowd immediately runs with shouts and filth. There is no way in the world that this person is not getting the pension he deserves. It simply cannot be according to Israeli law. So whoever wrote it is lying. It is possible that the player not very good? I think so. So it’s a shame that Mr. Lebrecht wants to catch hype at the orchestra’s expense and doesn’t check the facts. So calm down. Nothing illegal is happening here. And an invitation to an audition, apparently written in the collective agreement as a dismissal process for a player. At least that’s how it makes sense.
Could they be taking about compensation for firing, (“pitsuim” in Hebrew) rather then a pension?