The Oregon Symphony and Music Director Carlos Kalmar
“The Oregon Symphony … laid off its orchestra and several staff members Wednesday, taking emergency measures to outlive a sprawling coronavirus pandemic,” writes Nathan Rizzo in Friday’s (3/20) Oregonian (Portland, OR). “The 76 musicians, 19 staff and two conductors affected will be paid through March 20, said Scott Showalter, president and CEO of the Oregon Symphony. Musicians will continue receiving health benefits … but staff retain those benefits only until the end of June…. On the morning of March 12 … after Oregon Governor Kate Brown had announced her order [prohibiting gatherings of 250 people or more], the orchestra gathered … to meet with symphony executives including Showalter, Vice President Steve Wenig and orchestra manager Steve Stratman…. After an extended discussion … both sides agreed that there was simply no way forward without an in-house audience…. Violinist Peter Frajola said, … ‘We want to be there for the community right now. We need the community to help us, though, too.’ Showalter raised many of the same points in his appeal to Gov. Brown … casting the Oregon Symphony’s involvement in hospitals, libraries, prisons and shelters as an ameliorative social good.” Showalter said, “These are a ‘need to have,’ not a ‘nice to have.’ ”
