It has now been more than a year since musicians were locked out of the Minnesota Orchestra during an ongoing contract dispute. Music director Osmo Vänskä has resigned, as have other key staff members. In the weeks since Vänskä's resignation, informal conversations between representatives of the Minnesota Orchestra musicians and management ended abruptly after just two meetings.
Many observers have begun looking for alternate solutions, rather than continuing to hope for a negotiated settlement. Some have even suggested that the musicians leave the orchestra for good--to form their very own orchestra.
Attorney Lee Henderson, a member of the community-based group "SOS: Save Osmo," wrote an editorial urging the musicians and community to work together towards establishing a new symphony orchestra. Here's an excerpt from his editorial that appeared in Minneapolis' StarTribune on November 12:
For Minnesota Orchestra, a fresh start
By Lee A. Henderson
It's time. Not long ago, music critics were gushing about the Minnesota Orchestra, calling it perhaps the best orchestra in the world. Today it lies in shambles, the result of a bitter contest of competing philosophies. The Minnesota Orchestral Association (MOA) has sought to slash costs and reduce the quality of its product, arguing that that will be easier to fund within the community. The musicians want to continue to be a world-class ensemble and to make a living at comparable pay scales. While much of the debate has been around economics, what is really at the heart of this dispute is the vision for the future - an orchestra reduced in stature or one that continues to aspire to be among the best in the world.
In many ways, this dispute mirrors a current debate in our society - do we live in a world of scarcity, where there are limited resources and hoarding is the goal, or do we believe there are an abundance of resources so that if we work together, we can do great things? People of good faith have different opinions on the scarcity vs. abundance paradigm and it is reflected in the current orchestra stalemate.
These fundamental philosophical differences make it difficult to reach a negotiated agreement. Even former Sen. George Mitchell was unable to bridge the gap. Thus, it is time to move in a different direction - to create a new organization built on collaboration and a shared vision, not confrontation and leverage.
I believe in the abundance model. With creative thinkers, an engaged audience, and forward-looking managers and donors, we can re-create the world-class orchestra we once had - as a newly formed Minnesota Symphony. Nothing about aspiring to greatness is easy and this will not be, either. Here is what needs to be done:
To finish reading, click HERE to go to the StarTribune site.
If you share Henderson's vision of a world-class orchestra for Minnesota, Henderson invites you to e-mail him at worldclassorch@gmail.com.
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