This is a letter that was sent by OCPS to all their subscribers and donors last
week. The Orange County Philharmonic Society's offices are based in Irvine,
California, a short distance from the location of the 3000 seat Segerstrom
Hall, located in Costa Mesa, California (about 40 miles from Los Angeles)
Philharmonic Society of Orange County
2082 Business Center Dr. Suite 100
Irvine, California 92612-1113
714-553-2422; Fax 712-553-2421
e-mail: psmail@ocartsnet.org
Web page: http://www.ocartsnet.org/philharmonic/index.htm
Feb. 13, 1997
Dear Patrons,
Soon the great Vienna Philharmonic will add a glorious chapter to the
cultural history of Orange County.- a presentation that the Philharmonic
Society and its members have been working toward for years.There are many
wonderful individuals and corporations that have made this event possible. I
will recognize them in a subsequent letter to you.
For now, I would like to share some thoughts and information about the
situation that you may have read about concerning the Vienna Philharmonic's
position on women musicians in the orchestra and the anticipated
demonstration of protest prior to the performances here.
The Philharmonic Society is dedicated to fostering, promoting and increasing
the knowledge and appreciation of the arts in Orange County. We do this by
presenting musicians of the highest artistic quality such as the Vienna
Philharmonic, as well as developing and implementing a wide variety of music
education programs, As you well know, the contribution of women to the cause
of the Philharmonic Society is enormous both on-stage and off. More than 40
years ago, the Society was founded by a visionary woman conductor, an
occurrence that was extremely rare in those times and of which the Society is
extremely proud
In the process of fulfilling our mission to bring the best of world cultures
to our audiences we have presented and continue to present performing artists
without scrutinising their personal beliefs or political affiliations.
Certainly, we have presented Russians who are Communists and Russians who
are Democratic reformers, Irish musicians both Catholic and Protestant -- in
short, we host artists who represent a broad range of cultural, religious and
political traditions
Although great art transcends the culture in which it was created -- hence,
its universal appeal -- art is always rooted in cultural traditions. In
preserving the great music-making traditions of the 19th century, the Vienna
Philharmonic also brings with it into the 20th century certain practices that
have been largely abandoned by American society. We understand that the
Vienna Philharmonic presently has a policy, official or unofficial, of
refusing full membership to women musicians.
Unlike American orchestras, the Vienna Philharmonic, founded in 1842, is a
member-run collective that does not answer to a board of directors,
management or labor union. Membership has been handed down from father to
son, teacher to student and by audition for generations. The musicians
themselves totally run the operation of the Vienna Philharmonic . They
select the repertoire, plan the season and choose conductors and soloists.
In short, they make and live by their own policies regarding the life of the
orchestra.
The "glass ceiling" syndrome evident in American society is mirrored in the
arts. Women have risen in the ranks of management and leadership but still
find it extremely difficult to break through to the very top levels of
business, political and religious institutions. Women have changed the face
of the arts as well and are now knocking on the door of the world's top
orchestras.
Many are confident that change will occur in the Vienna Philharmonic. The
orchestra is scheduled to vote February 18 to determine whether to audition
women musicians. Perhaps they will vote to admit women; perhaps they will
choose to keep things the same for another year. However, this marks the
beginning of a process of change that is inevitable. We feel confident that
the Vienna Philharmonic will be able to continue to maintain its reputation
as one of the world's best orchestras by drawing its future membership from
the entire pool of today's top-quality music students -- at least half of
which are women.
We understand and respect the concerns of those who have chosen to speak out
about the Vienna Philharmonic's position on women musicians and expect that
any public expression of opinions prior to the performances will be carried
out in a dignified manner. The Philharmonic Society is proud to bring to our
community perhaps the finest symphony orchestra in the world. We look
forward to future opportunities to serve the cultural growth of Orange County
by continuing this tradition of excellence.
I hope this letter has answered any questions that you may have had about
this issue. I look forward to hearing your concerns or comments.
Sincerely,
Dean Corey
Executive Director
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