Call to boycott Swedish orchestra
mainAll members of the Camerata Nordica resigned six weeks ago after their orchestra was suspended.
Now the Camerata Nordica is posting ‘business as usual’ notices and hiring new musicians.
Former members of the ensemble are calling for an international boycott.
Here’s their statement:
BOYCOTT CAMERATA NORDICA
In this age of alternative facts and extreme politics it is often difficult to discern truth from lies, but the case of Camerata Nordica is exceptionally clear. The lack of outrage from Swedish citizens, from politicians and from arts organizations alike is allowing actions not short of criminal to take place in the Kalmar region.
Around 5 million kronor are owed and lying politicians are being allowed to cover it up. I say around 5 million only because the level of incompetent mismanagement and an extreme effort to cover up the truth leave us with no clue what the actual amount is and where this money has gone or where it will come from.
28 musicians have resigned and yet the board of Lansmusiken pretends everything will continue unhindered. When audiences and fans reach out to the media to show their support and voice their outrage, they are shamed into silence by disrespect and lies.
Camerata Nordica is dead. It has been killed by years of mismanagement and a board of politicians too concerned with their own egos and careers to take responsibility for their wrong-doing. We musicians have tried in vain to negotiate a future for Camerata for years, and all such proposals have now been thrown away or ignored.
Concerts are cancelled, recording contracts lost, a network of musicians emptied, and yet chairman Peter Hogberg speaks of “business as usual”. This term in Kalmar these days means nothing short of wasted money, disrespect, and lies. There is no way back as long as this board together with disgraced Lansmusiken chief Kjell Lindstrom are allowed to continue their work in Kalmar. Because of this I must on behalf of my colleagues and with their support call for a complete and total boycott of all activities that involve the name Camerata Nordica as long as these people remain in power.
A fan of ours recently pointed out in the newspaper Barometern that you would not go to see the Rolling Stones if all the band members were suddenly different. The same must be true of Camerata Nordica. For musicians to go and participate in this ruined institution would be a deep offense to our tradition, and for organizers to allow this organization to send them an alternate orchestra using our name would be equally appalling. The money of Swedish tax payers has been wasted. An orchestra with over 40 years of incredible history has been destroyed. There is no transparency and no accountability. This cannot be allowed to happen; this must not be tolerated.
We call on the musical world to stand united and boycott this institution. We call on tax payers to demand that their money be used with care, respect, and accountability, not for lining the pockets of administrators. We call on political Sweden to hold their colleagues accountable and replace this lying board.
Stand with the real musicians of Camerata Nordica.
Seems as if mismanagement has claimed another victim. Boycott Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra too, unfair, ethically challenged, under educated sloths.