Musicians in the Nordic countries say NO to the dismantling of operas and orchestras!

Statement adapted at NMU:s congress in Stockholm, 10-11th of november 2014

”On October 2nd, 2014, the management of the Rome Opera announced the dismissal of 182 orchestra musicians and chorus members, in a scandalous act of cultural vandalism. In the last few years in Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, The Netherlands, Spain and the US, orchestras have been simply closed down, sometimes overnight. In many other countries, they are being threatened with reductions in funding and budgetary cuts. 

In the context of the global economic downturn, orchestras in many countries have suffered as have other important sectors of the economy. However, destroying orchestras in the manner that we have seen in Rome will not just impact musicians’ jobs. It will also deny the general public access to the life enhancing experience of attending live performances of great musical works, thus creating a gap in the cultural offer to taxpayers and their families – a gap which will not readily be filled by the commercial sector. It will also tear apart the education and community work that orchestras have developed in many cities and regions over the last decades.”

This quote from the FIM-call gives a bleak but realistic description of the current situation for operas and orchestras worldwide and the loss it means to  our societes and its citizens.

The Nordic countries in general have so far been exempt from this development. But the recent decision to close down the Danish National Chamber Orchestra shows there is no safe haven left. Therefore, the NMU calls for managents and politicians in our countries to take action to avoid a development that may lead to the dismantling of operas and orchestras.

Finally, the NMU expresses our solidarity with the ensemble at the Rome Opera. NMU calls for a redecision and immediate rehiring of our colleauges in Rome.     

NMU represents the Musicians Unions in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden

For more information, please contact:
Bo Olsson, chairman of Symf 070-577 86 36

Symf, Sveriges Yrkesmusikerförbund, är fackförbundet för frilansande och anställda musiker och korister i konserthus, symfoniorkestrar, kammarorkestrar, operahus och länsmusiken. Symf är ett yrkesförbund som drivs av professionella musiker för att utveckla och värna musikers arbetsvillkor.

http://news.cision.com/se/symf---sveriges-yrkesmusikerforbund

www.symf.se