An unsigned article in Tuesday’s Local (Stockholm, Sweden) reports, “The 75-year-old Danish National Chamber Orchestra will lay down its instruments for good after the culture minister and public broadcaster DR [Danish Broadcasting Corporation] come to terms on a new public service agreement…. Culture Minister Marianne Jelved said on Tuesday that she has signed a new public-service agreement with broadcaster DR that will see the 42-person orchestra shut down as planned. Jelved said that although a majority of parliament was against the closing of the orchestra, politicians were unable to come up with a realistic alternative for funding it…. The closure of the … orchestra comes as part of a plan to cut 161 million kroner per year from DR’s budget. In addition to eliminating the orchestra, DR also called for the elimination of up to 200 jobs. The Danish National Chamber Orchestra enjoyed a bit of time in the international spotlight recently when a video of musicians performing after eating hot chilis went viral. The video has been seen nearly three million times.” The Danish National Chamber Orchestra is part of DR, as is the larger Danish National Symphony Orchestra, which continues in operation.
Posted December 10, 2014
