Melbourne heads for the bunkers
OrchestrasThe Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has erased the names of board members from its website, along with all contact details, as an unnamed external investigator goes to work examining the organisation’s handling of a pro-Palestine pianist.
Don’t try to ring the switchboard. They are not taking calls.
The orchestra is in a state of siege, with the musicians declaring no-confidence in the management and the rest of Australian music looking on appalled.
“anti-israeli” & antisemitic pianist, Al Jayseera
Anti-Israel does not equate to anti-Semitic. Your stance and trope is very tired now.
When the MSO folds the ‘activists’ can head to the Gazan bunkers to show solidarity with their Hamas bedfellows.
Or, perhaps not.
They might become hostages themselves. If left alive.
If the MSO should fold, I wonder how many people would notice? It was originally set up by the the ABC as an orchestra which gave broadcast public concerts, like the BBC Symphony – there was one in each of the six state capitals – but these days you never hear it. I suspect that its audience is getting smaller and smaller and older and older. I hope I’m wrong.
“The rest of Australian music”? So, a couple of bloggers over 70, a handful of no-names who never left Sydney after graduating from the “Conservatorium”, and a couple of church organists? Ok, then.
What on earth will an external investigator investigate? What will the brief be and what is the scope of the report? Is there anything that we don’t already know?
Next step…refuse to play compositions by Jews. Then commission a new work ‘ on the theme ‘Glory to the Heroes of October 7.’
I do not beieve this would ever have happened or been allowed to happen during the late Trevor Green’s term as one of the finest CEOs with Melbourne.