Dear Colleagues,

The Minnesota Orchestra is one of the oldest and most prestigious symphony orchestras in the Americas, founded in 1903, and boasting such legendary music directors as Eugene Ormandy, Antal Dorati, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski and, currently, Osmo Vänskä.

Tragically, our Minnesota Orchestra colleagues have been locked out, denied employment and compensation by a management hell-bent on devastating concessions. Ironically, even as these fine musicians were thrown out of their own concert hall, they received a coveted Grammy nomination in recognition of their world-class performance.

The Orchestra is working hard to bring great music to an appreciative community despite the short-sighted and mean-spirited tactics of their management, and they are performing on a volunteer basis to sold out houses, proving their place in their home environment.

In this Holiday Season, please offer your support to our friends and colleagues. Please visit their website at http://www.minnesotaorchestramusicians.org. In this age of social media, please hit “like” for their Facebook page, and sign their supporting petition at http://www.change.org/petitions/minnesota-music-lovers-support-keeping-world-class-musicians-in-the-minnesota-orchestra. These are simple acts that take just a moment, but offer real support.

Importantly, you can help real musicians survive in the real world. Please consider making a donation. Go to https://npo.justgive.org/nonprofits/donate.jsp?ein=20-3244371, and put “MMO” in the “Dedicate my Donation” field.
Or, you may mail checks payable to:
Working Partnerships MMO (Musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra)
Working Partnerships 312 Central Avenue Suite 524 Minneapolis, MN 55414

Happy Holidays to all!

Marc Sazer
President, RMA