Thank You All for Your Voices of Support
If you are concerned or possibly outraged by the actions of the Philharmonic, let their leadership know. Write a letter to Philharmonic Board Chairperson Rick James, and to Philharmonic President Brittany Hall, at the address below. Or use the Contact Us page of the Philharmonic’s website. Tell them what you think.
Rick James
Chair, Fort Wayne Philharmonic Board of Directors
4901 Fuller Drive
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46835
Brittany Hall
President and CEO, Fort Wayne Philharmonic
4901 Fuller Drive
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46835
Below are some excerpts of recent letters of support. Thank you!
It doesn't take an MBA to determine that recent decades of Fort Wayne Philharmonic operations have become a business management textbook case study of dysfunction and ineptitude. The recent strike by the musicians of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic is only a asterisk that highlights that FWP leadership has led the orchestra on a path of disarray and decline over a period of many years. The most important task of any Orchestra Board is not only to hire the CEO and Music Director, but to make sure that these officials are properly supervised and held accountable toward measurable goals of improving the quality of the Orchestra. The Board is ultimately responsible for the executive operational disfunction that resulted in the current strike and the dismal state of affairs of the FWP.
It is admirable and enviable that the Fort Wayne Philharmonic has a reported endowment of 28 million dollars. However, financial solvency is only one benchmark in evaluating the viability and health of an arts organization. In most of the other metrics, the management and board of the Philharmonic have miserably failed the Fort Wayne community and one of its most important artistic gems-the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Instead of using its vast financial resources to continue to build the quality of the Philharmonic, this Board and Executive staff have done the exact opposite.
The evidence is clear that the Board has blindly supported its administrative staff's dismal path toward retrenchment, contraction, and dismantlement of this outstanding professional orchestra. I personally know of several musicians who have recently left the orchestra because they were not valued by an inept mean-spirited management. These musicians were simply underpaid, underutilized and undermined by a management and board that lacks an artistic vision and conscience. The board and management do not clearly understand that the musicians of the Philharmonic are its most valuable resource and need to be treated kindly with dignity and respect.
Unfortunately, the wealthy members of the Board and its highly compensated management team have not invested in the musicians or the future of the orchestra. Instead, the Board and its management team have hoarded their enormous endowment while cultivating an untenable culture of disrespect, disdain, and contempt for orchestra members. The real wealth of the FWP is in the talents and musical skills of its musicians achieved over many years of dedication to artistic development. Instead of building artistic wealth, the leadership of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic is leading this pillar of Fort Wayne cultural life toward a potential path of musical irrelevancy and destruction. (1/22/2023)
*****
I’ve lived in this city for 15 years. When I moved here for work, I was amazed by the vibrant arts community for a city of this size. I still remember when I went to my first Philharmonic event at Foellinger theater, and I was blown away by the incredible musicianship on display. Since then, I have enjoyed many aspects of this city's wonderful arts scene, which has grown so much over the years. I've never put out of my mind there was a sense of how lucky a city like mine can have a top-notch organization like our Phil. The arts scene has flourished in this city over the past decade. With the Downtown Improvement District, Electric Works, big names coming to the Embassy, and the theater scene blossoming, the rest of the city has finally risen to meet the standards set by the orchestra. Incredibly this growth was sustained through the pandemic and continues to flourish now. However, the Philharmonic is withering under your leadership. What once propped up the rest of the arts in the city is now the embarrassment of the arts community. Beyond this, the musicians who are the backbone of this organization are being treated unfairly to the point of being unethical. So far, the board has failed to produce numbers that justify the pay or the treatment of the players. Pay your musicians fairly, and perhaps more importantly, respect them as professionals that need to provide for their families. Give them reasonable opportunities to find work outside of performances. Provide opportunities for them to perform, and add dates so that they can sustain themselves. The board may justify recent cuts by saying that the public can’t support them. I find that hard to believe when so many other arts organizations have been able to navigate through the pandemic and are coming out stronger. …Do right by these musicians. (1/6/2023)
*****
Our orchestra used to perform in schools and at community events, exposing young people to the beauty of music which can lift our soul, express our feelings, and transcends social classes. Why in the world would you deprive a community of the richness our musicians offer?
Beauty may not be profitable, neither is a sunset, an old tree or fresh rain in the spring, but they nurture and console us, they make us feel alive and grateful. Please recognize the values our well trained, dedicated and highly professional musicians offer. Please give them what they deserve, what we as a community deserve and should cherish. There is a reason why they have an enormous endowment: others recognized their value.
I trust that you will do what is right, that you will preserve our orchestra, treasure its members, and pay them so much more than they have received these last few years, so they can continue to enrich this community for generations to come, so Fort Wayne can proudly say: “Yes, we have also an amazing orchestra. Come live here.” (1/5/2023)
*****
My husband and I moved to Fort Wayne 20 years ago from the Chicago area. We were pleasantly surprised to see… that Fort Wayne had a Philharmonic!! I called and ordered tickets to a few concerts for that autumn of 2002. After viewing these concerts (Masterworks series), we were AMAZED by the high quality of its musicians! We have been subscribers to the Philharmonic ever since. For a city the size of Fort Wayne to have such a talented and professional group contained in a Philharmonic is a true artistic GEM for this city!
… The musicians of the Phil have made significant contributions to environmental and human rights projects in this city. They also do considerable out-reach programs to the community for people of all ages, especially school age children. Not to mention the amount of work and study to keep themselves as the high caliber professional musicians that they are…. We strongly implore you to ratify a contract with these professional musicians to keep this cultural GEM of this city flourishing. (1/4/2023)
*****
I am sad – gutted, really – to see the damage to the Fort Wayne Philharmonic under your leadership, which seems committed to the “gig-ification” of an excellent orchestra…. Let me be clear: anything less than a contract including well-salaried positions with both a cost-of-living and merit raise, and with appropriate benefits, is unethical. That the Philharmonic is on the AFM’s International Unfair List is an embarrassment, particularly given the wealth and assets of the organization. It is time to consider deeply what is lost when the contractual quality is diminished. In your drive to (unnecessarily) reduce costs, you have not considered the wide-ranging impact of Philharmonic musicians on the youth and young adults of Fort Wayne. (1/1/2023)
*****
As a Fort Wayne native, professional musician, and educator at an institution that trains orchestral musicians I am deeply upset by your unwillingness to give the Fort Wayne Philharmonic musicians the fair contract and wages that they deserve. I am writing to strongly urge you to reconsider your position and take into consideration the important place of this orchestra in the community and as a role model for orchestras throughout the nation, which I outline below…
The Fort Wayne Philharmonic is not just a regional orchestra. These are the musicians of Fort Wayne. Going back to the 1940’s and 1950’s, local jazz and big bands were made up of musicians who played in the Philharmonic. These are the people who play at all celebratory events throughout the region. They are your local jazz musicians, rock musicians, old time country fiddlers, the list goes on. They are found in every single music scene in the city. They are Fort Wayne’s public-school teachers. Growing up in the city in the 1980’s and 1990’s they were my violin teachers, chamber music coaches, and middle school and high school orchestra directors. They play at all our life events, regardless of creed or faith. The Philharmonic salary has been a mainstay of their existence for years and if you take that away, you will see the erosion of this community of local musicians…
The erosion of the musicians’ salaries will make it virtually impossible for it to survive at the same high level that it has over the years. You run the risk of having this magnificent cohort become lost in a part-time per service orchestra…
In closing, I want you to understand the strong community support this orchestra enjoys, and the extent to which those of us who are alums support it. These are my people in many ways. I have been trained by them and I have played alongside them. I now train musicians who will likely work in this community as well. I urge you to support them in every way possible. (12/15/2022)
*****
I was shocked to hear just how low the wages are for our musicians who may have student loans to pay off and may wish to raise a family. It is a deep irony that those who would indebt themselves to bring the beauty of music to an audience of generally affluent people should not be offered the basic means with which to live, much less thrive.
I plead with you to look past the issues that led to the current policies and consider the children and families who are struggling. But think also of your own children and grandchildren who receive either benefit or harm by the society you are creating. (12/14/22)
*****
I believe in a conflict there are two sides to every story. If there is a side to this story that explains why these reasonable (and in keeping with national standards) demands cannot be satisfied for the musicians of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic I urge you to relay them to the public. It is unthinkable to me that as the city of Fort Wayne continues to grow and invent itself in new and exciting ways that something so steady, important, and frankly, outstanding could be in danger of falling apart. Why are you not valuing your musicians? Why are you not valuing this amazing segment of the arts in Fort Wayne?
One of my favorite musical memories will always be when Ben Folds came and played with the Philharmonic musicians. He was performing his songs with city orchestras across the US and he was blown away by the quality of our musicians for the size of our city. What a gift we have with our musicians!
The trajectory that you are putting forth for the orchestra is simple - you will be responsible if they disband or fail in any sense. No one else. Not the musicians who clearly care enough about the community to put on a free concert only hours after they began their strike to show how much they love their work. Not city leadership or the city or itself. YOU. Its management and board. Please consider what you are doing. We stand with the musicians. (12/14/22)
*****
I’m heartbroken to see the breech between the musicians and the administration/board. During my tenure it was a period of growth with a wonderful rapport in the entire Philharmonic community. I moved away years ago but my heart is very much with my colleagues in the orchestra. Please act on behalf of creativity and vision. (12/13/22)
*****
As a Fort Wayne resident and music teacher for Fort Wayne Community Schools, I am appalled at the treatment received by the musicians of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. These musicians do so much for our city. Outside of their regular concert series, they bring in big names like Leslie Odom Jr and Joshua Bell, who draw in people from all around to see them. They perform in chamber ensembles and they perform seasonal and holiday performances several times a year. They support education through family friendly concerts that include hands-on activities for kids, they perform in local schools, and they put on interactive concerts at the Embassy during the school day for students. My students gain so much through their outreach every year. Many of the musicians also teach at PFW in the music school and as part of the Community Arts Academy. Having studied under several of the current and past Phil musicians, I have seen first-hand the quality of their musicianship and the dedication they have toward furthering the musical growth of musicians and the appreciation of music in our area. They are an integral part of the arts culture here in Fort Wayne. Becoming a top-quality musician takes a massive amount of work and time. The Phil need to pay them what they are worth. (12/11/22)
*****
I appreciate the musicians. I believe they have contributed much more than fine music to our community. Most of them make significant contributions to environmental and human rights projects in Fort Wayne and support their places of worship. Some have become parents and they are raising exceptional citizens who could be the future leaders of our city. A few of the musicians have been with orchestra, through thick and thin, for more than 25 years. They certainly do not expect to be rewarded with gold watches, but they are not wrong to expect something close to a living wage. (12/5/22)
*****
The benefits that the Phil give to the Ft. Wayne community and surrounding areas are immeasurable. The musician are already surviving on the bare minimum and many have had to take other jobs to survive. This results in less time on their instruments to maintain a high level of playing. Many musicians have chosen to move away for more secure, full-time positions.
According to Wikipedia’s page: “Fort Wayne is the cultural and economic center of northeastern Indiana.” Ft. Wayne is also a recipient of the All-America City Award. This is a community recognition program in the United States given by the National Civic League. The award recognizes the work of communities in using inclusive civic engagement to address critical issues and create stronger connections among residents, businesses and nonprofit and government leaders.
Surely the Ft. Wayne Phil is a huge component of the two above distinctions! The outreach that the Phil does benefits residents of all ages.
I strongly urge you to help this orchestra ratify a contract that will provide a living wage to its musicians that will allow the quality of this orchestra to remain that of a professional, full-time ensemble. (12/3/22)
The following are selected Voices of Support from our last negotiation in 2021. Thank you!
Solidarity!
I stand with the Philharmonic musicians.
The fiscal impact of the Musicians of the Philharmonic has been recognized by planners for economic development for years. Fort Wayne has been put forward as a good place to raise kids and we have the Philharmonic Orchestra.
Pay our musicians for the professional skills they have to bring live music back to our city!
The Philharmonic is a jewel in the cultural crown that Fort Wayne enjoys. This jewel exists because of the talented and dedicated musicians who produce the music the Philharmonic presents. Please treat them as the professionals they are and pay them a living wage and give them the respect they deserve.
It is an unfortunate situation that a city that has been known as a beacon for the arts in the Midwest has plans to truncate an organization that is at the center of this city! Please reinstate the orchestra, make it to what it has grown to be and support the musicians that are a vital part of the community in Fort Wayne!
"As a high school teacher, I must mention that the labor dispute is sending a terrible message to our K-12 students who are considering becoming professional musicians. We are doing so much to provide each student with a rigorous arts curriculum, and even as students are being recruited by music schools, like the Jacobs School of Music at IU Bloomington, they look at the mistreatment of the Philharmonic musicians and feel that there is no place for them in Fort Wayne's future.
It is infuriating to think that we will lose talented, skilled young musicians to other cities and states simply because the Philharmonic Board is unwilling to invest in its musicians and provide them with dignified wages and benefits. "
I have been a subscriber of four seats and some years five, season tickets for over thirty years. I am deeply distressed by the inability of the Philharmonic Board and management to give the musicians fair treatment. An extraordinarily generous gesture should be forthcoming in order to off set the negative position I have witnessed thus far. My wife and I and other family members love the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and know musicians personally. It grieves me to see the lack of concern for the well being of musicians the Philharmonic depends upon to present world class entertainment for Fort Wayne and the surrounding region. Please be generous and please do so in a timely fashion. Are you receiving advise to look for lesser quality musicians elsewhere? Are members of the public and businesses who support the Philharmonic with buying tickets telling you that Fort Wayne can do without an orchestra? I certainly hope not. I want to see a 2021-2022 season brochure with concerts in Fort Wayne and continue the outreach to communities around us. Thank you.
Shameful! Don't allow one of the crown jewels of the Fort Wayne community to be decimated. Pay these highly skilled musicians a fair wage.
As a young musician, the mistreatment of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic has pushed myself and my friends away from a career as musicians. Seeing such dedicated and talented musicians being treated with such disrespect has been very disappointing for student musicians in Fort Wayne.
I come from a long line of musicians; we value the performing arts and make it a part of our lives whenever we can. We have enjoyed performances by the Ft Wayne Philharmonic and want it to continue to provide it's excellent skills and abilities to the community without demolishing the hard working, long striving, endless practicing and gifted musicians who cannot live on no pay, less pay or even the current rate of pay. Is this a philharmonic or a busker group supporting overpaid management?
Please take a step back and consider this request with a long view. We live in a time when regular people, the ones who are the backbone of Philharmonic support, do not look with kindness or respect upon leaders who fail to act in good faith with our musicians, yet continue to receive fat cat salaries and hoard financial resources that could be used to restore our orchestra's vitality. This whole scenario has been embarrassing for our city, but it is not yet too late to do the right thing, Please humble yourselves and act justly.
In so many ways, the musicians of the Phil have supported my children to grow as musicians and as human beings. Please treat them well. Our community needs them!
I pray that you can resolve these issues without further cuts, resignations and delays. Blessings to all parties involved.
As a music teacher in Fort Wayne, an active member of the community, and a frequent attendee of the philharmonic, I know the importance of a professional paid philharmonic. Before covid the philharmonic was already playing and performing on very low wages. Most of the musicians were already working other jobs in order to make ends meet. They deserve a pay increase, rather than a decrease. Please restore their salaries!
You cannot cut your way to success. - Michael Kaiser, Former President, Kennedy Center for the Arts, also known as the "Turnaround King"
The Philharmonic is at the center of our city's extensive arts culture. They provide wonderful music, partnerships with other organizations in town, educational experiences for students and families, and bring other big name professionals in to Fort Wayne.
Keep the music alive - please!
The arts matter
It is both shameful and degrading to treat our city's musicians so poorly. We the citizens offer them our full support and refuse to tolerate such embarrassing lack of character.
As someone who grew up in Fort Wayne, I felt lucky to have such a wonderful organization available. I would not be a musician today if it weren't for the Ft Wayne Philharmonic.
We need to support our musicians and it'll be wonderful to restore live orchestral music in our region.
In a city that is actively working to attract a thriving and dynamic workforce, having vibrant cultural options is necessary. Restore the Philharmonic Orchestra to their pre-Pandemic level.
Music makes our city better and the philharmonic musicians must be treated with the respect they deserve. They are talented and dedicated professionals who must receive a respectable wage.
Stand up for your musicians!
Please act to preserve the legacy of this marvelous institution and maintain the livelihoods of the many gifted musicians who give so much to the orchestra and to the cultural life of Fort Wayne and the surrounding vicinity.
Management needs to understand that they need to project their employees, not their own jobs.
Fort Wayne deserves better than what you're giving us.
Do NOT destroy an orchestra that it has taken decades to build and that ranks as one of the finest mid-sized orchestras in the nation.
A fair contract is important to me, as audience, to the musicians, as employees, and the community, as a good place to be.
FW Philharmonic should be full-time w/ no elimination of positions
I am a long-time Phil Masterworks subscriber, and I beyond disappointed to see our fabulous musicians being treated so poorly by management.
Respect your musicians. They bring so much to the city.
The Musicians of the FW Philharmonic are not only accomplished musicians but they are our friends and neighbors. They volunteer in our community, they spend dollars in our local economy, they make our city and our region more vibrant. It would be a travesty to lose their talent and contributions that are vital to a thriving city.
Live Art is the cornerstone of every community. Live orchestral music is something that has the ability to enrich all people in a truly meaningful way. Fort Wayne Philharmonic has been fortunate enough to have a group of musicians that have abilities only possible through years of dedication and heartfelt intuition. Please prioritize the restoration of this fine group of musicians and staff.
I usher at the Embassy and PFW because of the Phil!
The Philharmonic is an irreplaceable asset to our city and it needs to be saved.
Please give these dedicated musicians their livelihoods back in a safe work environment.
Please don't do this; how can turning the clock back 30 years be considered positive via the artistry the Fort Wayne Philharmonic has achieved? This is a travesty, and shouldn't be happening!!
Please stand up for the invaluable qualities that the Fort Wayne Philharmonic musicians offer to the city of Fort Wayne and abroad. I would not have dedicated my life to a career in music were it not for the experiences I had growing up and being mentored by the world-class musicians of the Phil who have also dedicated their livelihoods to the same cause. Please uphold the values of this cultural institution that is unmatched by anything else the city of Fort Wayne has to offer.
I am a talented violinist who has been playing over three decades since I was 4. All three private lesson teachers I have had are/were Fort Wayne Philharmonic musicians for many years (two of them still current Philharmonic players), who have been instrumental in helping me become the great violinist I am today. Plus there have been several other Philharmonic musicians who have been an influence in orchestras and string groups I have been part of. And of course they put on many top notch concerts every season until management started hindering them last year. I find it outrageous that with a very rich net worth of over 26 million dollars, the current management has been very hostile to the musicians, so much so that Fort Wayne is the only orchestra in the country with the dubious distinction of being put on the unfair labor list. The musicians are who make all these concerts possible, no one buys all these concert tickets to see your management and board of directors. You are making a boatload of money off the musicians who are getting screwed over. This is not right or morally ethical at all. Musicians need a fair wage and benefits, not what you have put them through refusing to negotiate a fair contract in the last year.
There's no reason that I can see that the Orchestra musicians of the Philharmonic shouldn't be fairly compensated for their commitment to the community and the value of their time and talent. Without the musicians there's no philharmonic.
This is such a important and wonderful cultural need in FT Wayne. So much has been invested in upgrading this area and making it a place people want to be and visit. The musicians of the FW Phil need to be recognized and compensated for what they provide for the community.
Please listen to those who care about our Philharmonic orchestra in Fort Wayne. I have known some of these musicians for over 25 years, they care about our community and our orchestra and we care about them. They are every bit of what is expressed in this letter and more. Please keep the Phil alive and professional.
I support the excellent musicians of the Fort Wayne philharmonic, who have faithfully served the community and deserve the support of all who care about providing citizens with a full spectrum of arts and culture.
The Phil is invaluable to Fort Wayne. They are much missed by your community and surrounding communities!!
There has to be a better solution than the ones proposed thus far. Please don't destroy this stellar organization. It brings so much to our area and for the pittance (compared to other jobs with similar levels of professional training) the musicians are paid (pre-COVID), you are getting a real bargain. To quote a friend, "The governance structures for a non profit performing group look like a business, but the money and responsibilities go in opposite directions., The board and staff are working to support the musicians, not the other way around . Labor is the product, not an expense . Most people don't and can't understand that and it causes way too much mischief." Please don't look at this like a business.
Love the Philharmonic
Please support these wonderful musicians! My wife and I are long term season ticket holders to the Masterworks.
The FW Philharmonic Orchestra is a bedrock of our community. These musicians, who enrich the lives of thousands and maintain the precious and essential tradition of classical music, deserve our utmost respect. Thank you.
It's sad and upsetting that Philharmonic management and the board hold the belief that it's in the best interest of the organization and the community to make long-term cuts to musician pay. The position of the board and management is illogical and unconscionable. Their plans would not only be detrimental to the vibrant artistic fabric of our community but to the lives of musicians.
We need the Fort Wayne Philharmonic at full strength to continue the legacy of a fine orchestra in Fort Wayne!
Music programs in the Ft Wayne area put me on the path to my performing career. We must do everything we can to keep the arts alive.
Season ticket holder. Bring back the best musicians in Fort Wayne and please compensate them well. The Philharmonic is a jewel in what my family has called home since the late 1800s.
Shame on the management for treating the Philharmonic so poorly.
The orchestra is a vital part of the arts community in Fort Wayne. The way these professionals have been treated is appalling, especially in light of the way upper management is lining its own pockets! Shame on you!
These fine musicians make a difference to the quality of life in your community. They are your cultural ambassadors, and they should be respected as such. The FWP Musicians are a SOUND investment in the future of the arts in northeast Indiana.
We enjoy the Phil's music and hope to hear it again soon. Please take care of the musicians so Fort Wayne doesn't lose this valuable asset!
Don't poach off of the pandemic. Do the right thing and reinstate the full salaries of the musicians.
Bring the Phil back with a full orchestra and full benefits.
Please resolve this issue in an equitable manner that respects the skills and humanity of all the musicians who are dedicated to providing incredible musical performances for our community.
In the past, when people have asked what is good about Fort Wayne, I have always responded that we have a terrific Philharmonic. I hope I will again be able to say that. The musicians of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic deserve our support!
The Phil is the backbone of Fort Wayne. Any effort to diminish it through cuts in pay and benefits to the wonderful musicians imperils this beautiful orchestra. Please stop trying to nickel and dime the excellence that has always existed at the Phil. It is not a race to maximize profit. It is a task of sustaining and nurturing beauty far beyond anyone's day-to-day existence. I attend year after year because the wonderful concerts remind me of what is possible in life. The creation of sublime wholeness. It seems that Phil management is, perhaps inadvertently, trying to destroy this wholeness. Beauty is never reached by half-hearted methods or a primarily cost-saving attitude. Only by maintaining one foot in heaven and one on the ground will wholeness result. Accept that you cannot be seen as money-makers. Look instead on yourself as preservers of beauty and wholeness. That is the focus that will sustain and grow the Phil. If you continue down this path of cost-cutting, you will lose your best musicians, the Phil will become a small-town orchestra, not the one to rival New York and Chicago it has been in the past.
What is administration doing? This is a tragedy.
The people who support the Phil, love their music, do not want the Phil to be run like a cooperation. We want the quality of their music to continue the way we love to hear it.
Shame on you trying to break this great resource!
As a POPS subscriber, we are behind the musicians 100%!
Now is NOT the time to act timidly! Be bold and support our musicians!
My husband and I love attending the Philharmonic concerts! The musicians are so very talented and deserve a fair contract. We thoroughly support these musicians!!
Live music is something to be cherished. Classically trained musicians are worth their weight in gold to a community such as Fort Wayne. Do the right thing for them and for your city, please.
Show empathy and be fair.
If the PHIL and the Musicians of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic are not restored to at least the same capacity as before the pandemic, Fort Wayne's cultural value will fall behind other cities of similar stature. The orchestra - along with Fort Wayne in general - has gained so much momentum over the past several years and is blossoming as a cultural center of our geographic area. Not taking the right action will result in a loss of cultural value for the city for years to come. Fort Wayne deserves better!
Support the arts. Save high quality music in Fort Wayne. We need the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Give them your support and a fair wage.
The culture and entertainment assets of a city are a major part of what sets it apart from other cities, and of what draws people to visit and live in that city. A Board of Directors should be committed to maintaining that asset. Previous boards have made that commitment and passed on that legacy to you. You accepted that legacy. Please don't lose your sense of commitment to the orchestra and to your community. Support your orchestra! Defend it! Fight for it! Follow the right course of action, the necessary one to carry on that legacy, the one you will be proud of. Don't take the easy way out. Don't let your orchestra and your community down.
The money is there to use for the people who do the work and not to make some above others. Pay them to play!
$26,000,000 in reserves! If not used now to help the musicians WHO ACTUALLY PERFORM-Then when? It appears they have bent over backwards to managements demands. Has everyone in management taken the same financial hit? Spend some of that 26 mill on your people!
It is the responsibility of the management and the board to support the efforts of today's orchestra's musicians, not stymie their efforts with abuse and trauma. These are real people who came from all over to enhance the city's culture with beloved music. They have done their part for you. Now figure out how to do your part for them.
This orchestra employs many friends and colleagues, the budget is there, management needs to stand by their musicians.
Fort Wayne needs a healthy, thriving Philharmonic!
As a former member for the FWP and now a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, I would not be the musician that I am today without playing in the Fort Wayne Philharmonic! This is a true gem for arts and culture in the community and the region. Please take care of your orchestra so that generations for people in the community will have this exposure to the arts that will enrich their lives.
FW Philharmonic musicians play a key role in making Fort Wayne a great place to live.
With profound urgency, and gratefulness in support of these amazing professionals!
Many around the country pay attention to this story. The life of arts defines the life of a city. Without the support of a great symphony, a city loses a vital organ to its health. And the musicians make up this vital organ and should be compensated well for this.
Arts are critical components of a vibrant community.
The Fort Wayne Philharmonic needs to be revered not reduced!
It is disheartening to see the mission of the Philharmonic abandoned and our community bereft of orchestral music at a time when the arts are needed more than ever. Please offer a respectful, respectable contract and let the music play.
The quality of our philharmonic has been exceptional for many years and needs to remain that way. Fort Wayne would be a city just like many others without our wonderful fine arts, and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic is at the forefront. Please don't downgrade the quality of life in Fort Wayne by causing a loss of exceptional musicians. Show you care by negotiating a fair contract that keeps all our musicians.
We think back to November 2019 and The Violins of Hope concerts and programming. That was the highlight of the Philharmonic decades in our opinion, and we must not let that momentum slip away. Bring back the whole orchestra, and watch how much support you get from the community. It's always the right time to do what's right!
Quit acting like almost every school board in the country and support the arts.
As this letter states, it seems apparent to me that the musicians of the FW Phil are an integral part of the wide spectrum of the arts that makes Fort Wayne a desirable place to live. Therefore it makes sense to me that it should be a high priority to maintain the best possible quality of classical musicians in Fort Wayne. I cannot help but feel that during this past year the musicians employed by the Philharmonic organization have not been treated with the respect that they deserve. As a long time attendee of the Phil, I realize that crowds are smaller; I also assume that funding may be harder to find than it once was. But the board can do better! I ask that you fully engage in a dialogue with the musicians. Listen to each other. Find a path forward that is both fiscally responsible and that maintains the richness of the broad cultural heritage that marks our city.
It's important that the philharmonic be successful and the public see you do this. It's not too late.
The quality of our philharmonic has been exceptional for many years and needs to remain that way. Fort Wayne would be a city just like many others without our wonderful fine arts, and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic is at the forefront. Please don't downgrade the quality of life in Fort Wayne by causing a loss of exceptional musicians. Show you care by negotiating a fair contract that keeps all our musicians.
The Fort Wayne Philharmonic is a vital piece in holding a high standard of professional orchestral music throughout Northern Indiana and beyond. It's absence had been felt in both the musician and music-loving community. It is crucial to find a just and competitive way forward that exalts the musicians and the work they do in Fort Wayne, as well as the leadership roles they hold in the broader music community.
Give these professionals, respect and dignified compensation.
Do the right thing!
Please treat professionals as professionals, honor your contracts, and pay them for the hard, wonderful work they do.
It is extremely difficult to imagine Fort Wayne without its Philharmonic Orchestra. The orchestra is a major factor in the quality of life in our community. We have something special, something that is part of our identity as a city. Please don't destroy it.
Fort Wayne DSA is in solidarity with you!
We subscribe every year. We donate every year and try to increase it every year. We won't be doing either unless you treat the musicians with the professionalism and courtesy that they deserve.
Shame on you, management and board, for not valuing the professional and well trained musicians of OUR community!!!!!
I now live in New York City but grew up in Fort Wayne, where my family remains. I loved going to pops concerts with the Philharmonic as a child and those early experiences with classical music were formative in my artistry today. Please value these talented musicians. They could quite literally be changing the lives of the city's children. For Fort Wayne to stay a first class city, we need a first class orchestra, and they should be compensated accordingly. Thank you!
It has been heartbreaking to learn of this ongoing conflict between musicians and administrators. I recognize that this past year has been extremely stressful and difficult for all, but urge you to fully invest in our FW Philharmonic's most important asset....our professional musicians. Thank you.
Whoever on the board who caused this labor dispute that made our town a national disgrace should resign and never work in this industry again
Musicians love to bring music and culture to the Nation! Please support them. The musicians have given their all. They have sacrificed tremendously on behalf of your community's benefit and growth. Your city has generated substantial business growth by employing symphonic musicians. Respect the musicians and what they provide you. Support the musicians in their fight for decent wages!
A dedicated professional Philharmonic orchestra is on the top of the list for what makes Fort Wayne the most livable city and the best place to live. It is crucial to make Northeast Indiana attractive to both desirable businesses and desirable talent.
I support the position of the Philharmonic Musicians.
For many years employers in Fort Wayne have utilized the Philharmonic as a hiring tool to attract talented employees to Fort Wayne. Many prospective and desirable employees considered the presence of the Philharmonic as a valuable advantage when making a decision to accept a job in Fort Wayne. The Philharmonic enriches the quality of life and well being of the community. Don't destroy such a precious asset.
Full support!
Supporting the arts is important as any other discipline in schooling. Take a moment and imagine the world without music!
"Beauty will save the world." (Dostoevsky) This is not mere sentiment, it is a fact.
My husband and I have had season tickets to the Philharmonic the past several years. I feel the treatment of the musicians has been shameful. Please rectify this situation.
Philharmonic Board and Management: Please do your part to restore LIVE orchestral music to NE Indiana! I urge you to negotiate a fair contract with the talented musicians of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. More than ever, we need symphonic, chamber, pops and holiday music to unite and uplift us. Please reconsider your regressive position and negotiate in good faith, toward a mutually beneficial contract with the musicians.
Shame on you for treating our talented orchestra so poorly. Get your priorities straight. How dare you!
The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra is a vital part of the culture of Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
Keep our Talented Musicians in Fort Wayne. Fort Wayne is blessed to have them
"Our Fort Wayne Philharmonic is the greatest cultural treasure of our city. And it is so because the musicians who are the Philharmonic (the sound-makers, as opposed to the administrators and board members) have spent their lives practicing thousands upon thousands of hours in order to be vessels, or channels, of sound for composers who also spent their lives in the highest pursuit of all: creating beauty.
An orchestra is not a business. It is a living, breathing group of people who have sacrificed and competed and studied and given of themselves to their instruments their entire lives in order to create. Musicians of this caliber who are worthy to sit onstage and play the concert repertoire are not mere employees. They are co-creators with some of the greatest minds who have ever lived (Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler, Mozart, Stravinsky, Bernstein, and the list goes on). They, in turn, give to us, their audience, the opportunity to hear and to experience what cannot be duplicated in recordings or on film: living, breathing, deeply human music. The music they perform is not background music. It is not utilitarian noise. It is music that engages its listener's hearts, brains, blood.
I call upon the administrators and the board of the Phil to sit down with the players and demonstrate some humanity, some decency toward the music-makers. I call upon the administrators and the board to demonstrate some understanding of the cultural responsibility they bear: to provide the means of continuing intact not only a proud, Fort Wayne cultural institution, but to shepherd into the future the living inheritance of classical music. "
No music, no life!
We need our FW Philharmonic- FW Loves them!!!! Please Take care of their needs.
I'm so disappointed with the Phil. board!
My mother lived in Angola and loved the concerts they did there. She never missed one. We are so incredibly lucky to have amazing musicians that are willing to travel to cities outside of Fort Wayne. I am sure this will not continue if members of the Phil have to get other jobs to support their families. Please keep all of the musicians full time so they can support their families and share their music with all of us.
I support the musicians!
I began studying cello with members of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic in 1994. Some of those musicians are still in the orchestra today, and I give them full credit for giving me an excellent start to what has turned out to be a full-fledged music career. I went on to spend summers at Interlochen, and received my cello performance degrees from Ithaca College and the University of Maryland. I'm currently an active performer and teacher, and the Education Director for the Sherman Symphony Orchestra in Sherman, TX. I would not be where I am if it had not been for the Fort Wayne Philharmonic! They deserve to be paid a fair wage, and they deserve to work.
I want all musicians to be paid fairly and to bring back their beautiful music to Fort Wayne.
Please support our musicians not only fairly but generously! We are so blessed to have them in the Arts & in our community!
As a former member of this organization, having been Fourth Horn from 1998-2000, I know the value that this organization brings to Fort Wayne, IN and the surrounding area. The community needs your leadership to step up and make the right decision. Please help move forward and restore this institution so they can bring orchestral music back and put food on their tables.
We need the Phil! With dignity and respect
We need our musicians back!! They deserve a living wage!
Fort Wayne Philharmonic has provided amazing educational programs to so many school age students, enriching their lives that only a live, professional orchestra can provide. Please support these wonderful and dedicated musicians who have given so tirelessly to the Fort Wayne community.
"I am a violinist with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, so I am not one of your local residents or a subscriber. However, I want to voice my backing for the Fort Wayne Philharmonic musicians. Your musicians are valuable community members and deserve fair contracts.
For inspiration, I wish to let you know how extremely grateful I am and how in awe I am of our Fort Worth Symphony management team. They have worked so hard this season to present safe performances, to fully pay the musicians, and to fund our health benefits. Please find a way to support your musicians."
I have been a subscriber and season ticket holder for over thirty years. Please deal fairly and generously with Fort Wayne musicians. Reboot live classical orchestral music for Fort Wayne.
Invest in your musicians and your orchestra. It's an asset your community needs!
I have been a full time substitute violinist with this orchestra for many years now. I've had some of my favorite musical experiences on Embassy's stage, the Arts United Center, as well as the Rhinehart Music Center. The people in this orchestra are some of the kindest, warmest people I've ever played with. Even though I am not a full member, they made me feel at home from the very beginning. It is an incredible shame that management is treating this institution with such disrespect. If they proceed the way they have been, the quality of the orchestra and music making will go down significantly and Fort Wayne will lose an essential part of its culture.
I sincerely hope an agreement can be reached as I very much enjoy the Philharmonic!
Please keep the music alive and well in your community! Here is Minnesota, orchestras have continued to support their musicians, which includes Minnesota Orchestra, St Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Minnesota Opera.
"Orchestras with far smaller endorsements have been hiring their musicians and following their contracts in place, but adding social distancing and safety protocols to keep everyone safe. Audiences have expressed their joy at watching their orchestra on TV, over the internet, and in some cases, in person, and have contacted those managements thanking them, but telling them how much they want to be able to attend in person. This year's means of delivering has also generated revenue for those orchestras who realized the importance of delivering music to their community. Now they are eager to return to the concert hall.
If you lose your orchestra, you will lose people who teach your children, the prestige and enjoyment of wonderful entertainment, and the city and state will lose tax revenue generated by many businesses in town, including gas stations, restaurants and more. Your loss will be far greater than a group of musicians. "
I am violist with NSO in Wash DC for 42 years. PLEASE restore live orch music!!
Music is so important and the people that produce it must be supported!
I hope that this crisis can be resolved in a way that adequately compensates the musicians for their talent, hard work, and training and assures the future of the orchestra.
"In the last few years, we've seen several magazine articles highlighting Fort Wayne as either a great place to visit or a great place to live. The Philharmonic is nearly always cited as a significant part of our arts and culture scene. That recognition wouldn't continue with the stripped-down, rent-a-body orchestra you are proposing.
Your contract proposals are an insult not only to the talented, dedicated professional musicians of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, but also to the thousands of supporters of the orchestra in the city and area. We urge you to reconsider your negotiating stance.
I know personally members of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic as they played in my orchestra here in Hawaii. All orchestras in the United States are connected because of relationships like this and we strongly support each other. What affects the Fort Wayne Philharmonic's musicians affects the Hawaii Symphony's musicians and all orchestra musicians around the country. I urge the leadership of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic to take bold steps now to return your orchestra to a healthy one. Every community benefits greatly from supporting a professional symphony orchestra which impacts in very positive ways not only the arts in your community but also the economy. Act now before your valuable musicians seek work elsewhere. Thank you and Aloha, Norm Foster, clarinetist, Hawaii Symphony Orchestra
This year is an opportunity for the growth of this marvelous orchestra, not cuts!
Make a fair deal with your orchestra and welcome your audience back. Please.
It is tragic for a large community like Fort Wayne to lose it's highly successful symphony orchestra!
One of the greatest things about this city is its art community. The keystone of which is the longevity of the Philharmonic.
Please don't do anything that would jeopardize this wonderful piece of Fort Wayne culture.
The Philharmonic is a benefit to the community and sets us apart. Please do not destroy it.
How the musicians have been treated is deplorable. It is time to bring the music back and treat those making it with respect and fair compensation.
Labor rights are human rights. Please negotiate in good faith.
Please protect this vital group of artists who give back so much to their community!!
I support the musicians
I am 100% behind all of you. As a 14 year member of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic I know all that the orchestra brings to the community. Stay strong and fight the good fight!
Please save the Fort Wayne Philharmonic
Supporting the Arts Means Supporting the Artists. The talented musicians of the orchestra provide artistic and social vitality to Fort Wayne and have earned the respect and gratitude of the community. As human beings, some raising families, they deserve the best the city and region can provide, not the least you can force them to accept. While you can never pay them what they are worth, you can do better than what is being proposed. Please put as much into your stewardship of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic as the musicians put into their artistry. The wonderful results may surprise you!
Our musicians deserve the dignity of being able to earn a living wage.
You couldn't buy a student horn with those wages.
As a musician who has been through a similar situation (the 2019 Baltimore Symphony lockout) I can say with 100% certainty that cutting your core product in the name of saving the organization is suicide. I'm grateful our supporters put enough pressure on the BSO to reverse course before it was too late. Please reconsider your approach while you still can.
It takes much longer to rebuild an orchestra than to diminish an orchestra. Be ambitious, positive, and support the Philharmonic Orchestra!
Please consider the plight of the orchestra and provide them with their well deserved earnings. It is an incredibly valuable asset to have a great and well established symphony orchestra in your town, an absolute must for a cultural identity and for the well-being of a city's population!
Please let these wonderful musicians return to their jobs with a fair contract. They bring great distinction to the people of Fort Wayne.
FW Philharmonic will always have a special place in my heart starting in the 1960's when our elementary school class went to their performances at the Embassy Theater. This gave me a life long appreciation of Classical Music. It also inspired me to be an early supporter of the efforts in the 70's to save the Embassy.
My husband and I have had season tickets for the Philharmonic for several years. We know how blessed we are to have such a tremendous orchestra in a city our size. Please work to keep our FULL orchestra as it is important to what makes Fort Wayne a wonderful place to live and raise a family.
The Fort Wayne Phil is a treasure for the community. These musicians come from top conservatories and have moved from all over the country to enrich your community. This orchestra must prevail!
I support the players of the Ft. Wayne Orchestra.
The audience WILL know if there are fewer musicians. One would think insulting your donor base would not be the strategy of choice for management. Invest in your greatest resource -- talent -- don't drive it away.
The management and board of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic absolutely must find a way to keep the orchestra full size and full time. It is doable provided the management and board work a little harder instead of wanting to take the easy way out and make the orchestra part time. The management and board must make it a priority for the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana to have a first class symphony orchestra to serve the community with great music. The management and board must act with courage and commitment to accomplish this.
Please support live music performances!
Do right by the artists without whom you would not have a product to present.
I am a professional violinist who played in the Indianapolis Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Musicians study many years and give back to their communities with their talent and devotion to music. We have families to support and raise. Don't denigrate their hard work by treating them like ants. Will you reduce your salaries and suffer the way you want Fort Wayne musicians to suffer?
Musicians deserve the dignity of a professional wage.
I support you! We all have been working on our craft our entire lives. Business has to understand that the Arts feed the Soul and must be Respected and compensated as such. xo
In solidarity!
Management and leadership of this orchestra and any other arts related organization should be involved because they value the arts in their own lives and their community. That doesn't appear to be the case in Fort Wayne. PLEASE bring the orchestra back or step down and let others do what you will not do.
Please uphold your responsibility to support your musicians, significant contributors to the cultural wealth and well-being of your community.
Stop the abuse of the musicians - because - - THAT'S your orchestra!!!
Indiana is known for being an orchestral powerhouse. This is no way to treat your orchestra.
Orchestras are an integral part of any vibrant city economy and add substance to people's lives. Please treat your musicians with respect and dignity, and show you care by not reducing their salaries after they have already suffered enough
You don't know what you got till it's gone.
The musicians of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic deserve better and the Fort Wayne community deserves better. Each day the Philharmonic is without a contract that looks to the future is more wasted time. It is time spent trying to justify the bad decisions of 2020 and stealing from 2021 and beyond. "
The musicians deserve better than the treatment they are getting. They are an important part of the community and losing them will cause more damage than just losing a professional orchestra.
Shame on the Fort Wayne Philharmonic's Management... WITHOUT THE ORCHESTRA THEY WOULD NOT HAVE A JOB!!
The arts are an integral part of any community. To not negotiate in good faith with those who share their talents with their community is, frankly, unconscionable. The administration of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic is demonstrating their contempt for not only their most prized employees - the musicians - but for the community at large that supports it. They should be ashamed!
Should Ft. Wayne want to be a first class city, it needs to support its first class orchestra.
Please treat these musicians fairly and equitably by restoring them to a living wage and benefits that will allow them to stay and continue to nourish their beloved community.
If a community values culture and classical music it is imperative to support those who provide it with a living wage.
"Great Art provokes you to discover yourself." Pierre Boulez
If music exists only in our hearts and not in our ears then part of our freedom is gone.
"In the words of famous American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: ""Music is the universal language of mankind."" Lowering the level of support for your orchestra, in spite of assets valued of more than 26 million dollars, doesn't really sound like a great plan to support professionals who bring culture and the fine art of classical to the community of Fort Wayne. Please reconsider your decision, thank you!!
FW needs its orchestra.
The return of live orchestra music and live audiences will be exhilarating! Please support it!
All workers, including musicians, deserve respect in the workplace and fair compensation for labor.
Endowments and assets should be used to support the musicians ESPECIALLY during these unforeseen, unusual times. Do not make the cuts
We still need the arts!
Your musicians ARE the organization. The lack of respect you show them is despicable!
Good luck, we're all behind you!
Please support our musicians. Bring back the full orchestra and season. We have a fantastic treasure here in Fort Wayne that is not being cared for by the people who should be doing that. We want our Philharmonic back!
Please don't take away the music!
Please maintain the Fort Wayne Philharmonic programs as historically have enriched the northeast corner of our state.
"It is wrongheaded to attempt to leverage the pandemic to permanently reduce pay for the musicians. They have survived this past year and are willing to return to playing for you and supporting the other endeavors of the Symphony. Please stop trying to reduce their pay.
Further, being on par with where they were before the pandemic would represent a loss.
Your job is to protect your institution-not destroy it. Do your job with honor and conscience!
So many orchestras, large and small, kept music going throughout the pandemic. The leadership of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic needs only to look to its neighbors in the midwest for inspiration. Please get back on board now!
Please contact Toledo Symphony for ways they were able to survive pandemic with a similar budget. Streaming concerts and massive community support.
The Fort Wayne Philharmonic is an invaluable part of your community and will better the lives of your citizens, and most certainly of your children. Please take the steps necessary to support this fine arts organization at the level you all deserve. It is the gem of the community.
I am both angered and saddened for my former colleagues over the way they are being treated
Please reconsider how you are treating the musicians that have built this organization's legacy. The reason I personally chose a profession in the arts, and the reason I'm a very successful full-time (self-employed) professional musician is because of this orchestra, it's programs, and the former leadership's investment in the arts and the youth in our city.
20 years ago, this organization was a beacon in the industry, and many of my young talented colleagues and I wanted nothing more then to pursue music for our vocation watching the way in which the arts changed our community.
Coming from a multi-generational successful family in business, I specifically plead with the board members to actually consider what you personally live on per month verses what you are asking the musicians to grant as acceptable living wages. We separate ourselves from reality when we don't relate to others who have to live differently or consider other perspectives when making these decisions that seem logical when discussed with affluent and influential peers.
Choices have consequences, and decisions reflect on one's character......and they will be judged for years to come. It's not too late to do the right thing.
Musicians who have taken concessions or been on unemployment for the last year need MORE wages paid for their work and MORE support from their management, not less. With the proposed wage cuts, the Philharmonic management would show how little they value the people who actually make the music.
I took violin lessons for 12 years from someone in the Philharmonic, and have enjoyed countless concerts there. They are vital to the culture and cultural education of this city and area.
The Fort Wayne Philharmonic is a treasure of Fort Wayne and the surrounding area. It's quality is astounding, and each musician is worth every penny of the money they are requesting -- and much more than the orchestra board is offering. It's difficult to think of this regional orchestra in a community of only 265,000 people having world renown conductors actually wanting to come here to conduct. Support for the musicians should start with the board of directors, but I fully support the musicians in their desire to be paid what they so richly deserve. If the board is worried about funding, then let the board start raising more money.
Please support these wonderful musicians! My wife and I are long term season ticket holders to the Masterworks.
I was once a musician of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and wish all the best for my friends and colleagues!
Having a world class philharmonic in a city our size helps attract and retain people and companies and contributes to a vibrant community. Please help convince others of the importance of keeping talented musicians in Fort Wayne! Maybe consider partnering with others to increase their gigs, i.e. play at the Farmer's Market, play at TinCaps games, play at a Zoo event, hold a concert at Headwaters Park, how about neighborhood performances... think outside the box.
The world is watching.
Musicians are artists who should be valued - not degraded!!!
If you don't support your orchestra during these extraordinary times, you won't have an orchestra.
You need to treat the musicians with the respect they deserve!
I stand with the Fort Wayne philharmonic musicians and support them 100 percent.
Our orchestras should be kept intact and indispensable!
It makes me so upset that the musicians at the Phil have been treated so poorly and now you're offering them a mere pittance. Our musicians are worth so much more than that!
Please keep this excellent Orchestra going. The loss to the current residents, and to generations to come, would be tragic, if this wonderful Orchestra didn't survive. The players are fabulous musicians, and deserve your support.
Classical music should never be silenced.
We stand with the musicians.
They are an important part of the Ft Wayne community
Hard-working families rely on the Philharmonic for their income. You are destroying families and ruining childhoods when you refuse to come to equitable agreements with the musicians' union. As a community we've built a reputation for having a strong artistic influence, and you have the power to continue that reputation. There are families that move here for our music, and it would be a shame to the entire city of Fort Wayne to drive their business and livelihoods away like this. We know you can afford to pay your musicians a living wage and provide all the benefits they need to live a healthy life, and each day you refuse this our perception of you is damaged. Please do the right thing for our family and so many others.
It is important to Northwest Indiana that Fort Wayne continues to have a professional orchestra. My family and I have enjoyed these talented musicians performing in large and small venues over the past decade.
Please keep great music going in NE Indiana for everyone, public and musicians alike!
Please resolve this quickly and fairly.
As a member of the Erie Philharmonic, whose management has been cooperative in negotiating a contract to allow the music to stay alive and reach the community via public broadcasts, I am appalled that similar measures or better have not been taken for the musicians of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic or for the concert-loving public of Fort Wayne. It seems that management believes that the orchestra exists to support management's lifestyle. Please address your salaries and endowment to supporting live music and the livelihoods of the musicians, without whom none of you would be employed. This is appalling and heartless, especially when the federal government over one year ago provided funds to keep the musicians employed. What an unbalanced view of an arts organization and management's role! Please right this wrong immediately.
Please do not destroy this orchestra- live classical music brings so much hope and joy to people that need it very much right now. Musicians need to be paid a fair wage and are a part of your community. Negotiate in good faith!!!!!!!!!!
Don't be shortsighted and destroy a top notch orchestra that gives so much to the community. Give them fair compensation. It takes many years of hard work and talent to become musicians of their caliber.
Having been a former member of the Ft Wayne Philharmonic, I support my fellow musicians and colleagues in this challenging time. The city of Ft Wayne, Indiana is very fortunate to have a great orchestra and I'm heartbroken to see it at risk.
Invest in your musicians and your orchestra. It's an asset your community needs!
"The philharmonic and its musicians are a true asset to the community. These are difficult times, but we would like to see both the Phil and the musicians win. There has been much talk about living wages in the last year. It is our hope the negotiations will allow for both the Phil to thrive but the musicians to feel appreciated and rewarded appropriately for their talents "
These are incredible musicians that deserve to do what they do best and share their musical knowledge and skills with the community.
Ft. Wayne deserves better! Bring back the Philharmonic at professional wages!
I support the philharmonic!
"I grew up in Fort Wayne and have fond memories of seeing the talented musicians even come to my school to play. I had the opportunity to be a member of the Youth Symphony throughout my high school years and credit my love of classical music in part to these early exposures. I now live in Cincinnati.
Musicians are the heart of the Philharmonic. Other cities, including my own, have been able to continue to pay their musicians and keep music alive, despite the pandemic. You can too.
Please, the musicians are the heart of the philharmonic. Please keep their great music alive and show that you value their contribution.
We NEED great orchestral music in Fort Wayne again.
We moved to Fort Wayne about a year and a half ago and only had one chance to hear the Philharmonic before the pandemic shut things down. We stand in full support of the musicians and look forward to an equitable contract for them so we can hear the Philharmonic once again.
I support the musicians of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic.
As a musician and ethnomusicologist, I value fair treatment of the musicians of the Philharmonic.
There is no music without musicians.
Philharmonic musicians made an incredible impact on my life as a young person. I would not be where I am today without their mentorship. I am deeply disturbed that an organization in good financial shape would so mistreat and devalue its professional musicians (without whom there would be no Philharmonic).
Pay musicians what they rightfully deserve!!
Please don't abandon the artistic vision of the last 30 years. Boards before you believed that Fort Wayne should have a world class regional orchestra. They recognized the need for full time positions that paid a living wage in order to attract and retain the best talent. Endowment gifts were given for the express purpose of guaranteeing full-time positions permanently. Our city has a bright future, and the Philharmonic should be an important part of the "road to one million" vision.
Before Covid, it broke my heart that the talented, experienced, and well educated musicians had to work more than one job to live. Reading the recent decisions to cut wages breaks my heart even more. They deserve it all! Increase membership prices and get someone skilled to run the social media to allow more booking opportunities before cutting their wages. That shouldn't even be in question. Shame!
I subbed in the Fort Wayne Phil, back when I was a grad student at IU. It is appalling to me that you are treating the current musicians so badly. Stop it.
Arts are a vital part of our community. I stand with the musicians!
Support the philharmonic musicians! They are an asset to the community and this delay and these tactics are unconscionable. End this ill-fated attack on this cultural institution immediately.
This city needs it's musicians. They have become such an integral part of our community and a lot of family traditions. Without them, we are missing out on such great opportunities for enrichment and joy.
This is an outrage
Please support our orchestra!
Please do not destroy this wonderful orchestra
I'm with you, musicians!! You all deserve so much.
"Management and the Board of Directors have a custodial responsibility to the art form. I don't think this is what Frank Freimann had in mind when his family bequeathed $1 million to the orchestra back in the 90s to expand the core orchestra! Please don't allow this to happen!"
Consider your opportunity to continue enrich the community. Musicians are not only dedicated professionals at the top of their field, but also thoughtful, engaging humans who enliven the community. Ask and listen - look around and recognize the value of fully supporting artists. If you don't know how to be creative about solutions, ask them! Many perspectives helps culture thrive!
I'm wondering how other cities of our size are managing to support their orchestras. What has gone wrong in Fort Wayne? What a shame it would be to lose our professional orchestra -- life in Fort Wayne would be much less rich in every way. Our city is quick to boast about the Philharmonic, the crown jewel of our arts scene. Why require the musicians to be available full-time, when they are being paid for part-time? It doesn't make sense - - they have to have second jobs. They are not independently wealthy people who are available 52 weeks a year to make $25k.
I remember fondly my time playing with the Phil as a substitute musician, and to see its longtime contracted musicians mistreated as they have been for the past year (or more) fills me with sadness for them and for the Fort Wayne community they have loyally served for, in many cases, decades. Please: Make this right.
This group of musicians is way too valuable to this part of Indiana and to the Arts in general. Don't erase Hope for the countless band and orchestra kids in schools who may be inspired by the Philharmonic.
As a teacher, I have always appreciated all of the musicians that have visited my school to expose the students to a musical performance and explanation of their instruments and the music they are listening to. On a personal level, I enjoy the fine musical performances provided by our very talented musicians. Please preserve this treasure. Fort Wayne is so fortunate to have the Philharmonic. The orchestra is nothing without its musicians.
Music is an extremely necessary thing for any event, party, festival, etc. Musicians who provide the music are essential, and deserve to be treated just as fairly as any other worker
Please support the musicians. I couldn't imagine Fort Wayne without them!
Please bring the music back
As the letter indicates, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic has the resources to sustain and grow the orchestra. Since the resources are there, the community support is there. As the letter notes at the end, building an orchestra is the work of decades. How can that be thrown away, seemingly because the leadership of the organization cam no longer be bothered to do the job they are there to do? Fort Wayne is and must be better than this!!!
There is no substitute for orchestral music. It enhances my life and helps beautify my world.
FW Phil management has treated the musicians horribly during this difficult time. The facts are out. The organization could have chosen a different route. And the cuts to the orchestra that have been suggested by management are horrendous at best. We will lose many of our accomplished performers and much of the small town yet big city culture that we have worked so hard to establish. I am frustrated to the point of wanting ALL of the musicians to ditch FW Phil management and start their own orchestra under a new name. SHAME ON YOU, MANAGEMENT!
"Orchestras are *not* the kind of business where the labor force is ""fungible"" and the institution can survive letting its members go when times are rough, and re-hiring when things are easier. An orchestra is a visionary artistic community that can nurture a city's soul only if its city supports its members.
I continue to be distraught about the situation with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Negotiations must be reached and live music needs to begin again. Our players have spent years in preparation and must be paid as professionals. I am a very part-time performer, and I totally support these musicians. They are amazing players and wonderful to make music with. I don't want them leaving for other orchestras... Get it done NOW!
We love hearing the FWP whenever we're in town. Please don't shrink the orchestra or cut the pay of the musicians.
The FWP has been an important part of the American regional orchestra scene since before I got in the business in the 1970s. Please don't give up on them or America.
Please pay the musicians fair wages and keep the music coming for the community! The loss of a full-time professional orchestra in Fort Wayne would be devastating for the musicians and the community.
The ARTS ARE ESSENTIAL
We need to hear the music!
Music is essential for humans to thrive.
Our Philharmonic Musicians are a vital and integral part of Fort Wayne's arts community, which, in turn, is one of the city's most appealing aspects to both residents and perspective residents. Restore their living wages and show them the support and respect they so well deserve!
I absolutely support the musicians. The money is there.
I used to sub there. What a wonderful orchestra for a great town. I would drive hours to play with the orchestra! Live music needs to come back for humanity itself. You need to support the arts. Without music there is no life. People cannot feel without music.
Ft Wayne is deserving of a first class symphony orchestra as it has had for decades
Live classical music, good live classical music, is a critical component of a healthy city that can attract and retain interesting and committed workers. Fort Wayne Must Not go backwards in this regard.
Music is essential to the well being of humans
Get on the right side of history and preserve Fort Wayne's cultural centerpiece.
The musicians of your great orchestra are so mistreated by your manager that he should be fired ASAP! Please support these excellent musicians.......
I am glad there has been some movement. The Phil is so valuable to our community and I so hope this can be resolved soon.
We are so lucky to have so many talented musicians in our Ian gosh.
I stand in solidarity with my fellow musicians. This orchestra deserves to be treated in a fair and just way especially as we begin to loosen Pandemic restrictions and community members are starved for what they have to offer.
We love Fort Wayne Phil musicians!
Put our musicians back to work with a fair contract!
It's time for better management of our wonderful orchestra.
These musicians are invaluable. Don't force them to move away!
Our community is diminished without the cultural contribution of the arts.
Please bring this wonderful orchestra back!
We MUST NOT let classical music fade into the "sunset". It's the fabric of our every being and culture.
Fair wages!! You will crush orchestral music if you do not offer musicians fair wage. That will be on YOUR heads. Be responsible.
Fort Wayne is growing dramatically and the arts development in this city have been recognizable everywhere downtown and at many events through the county in recent years. It would be a shame to see so many talented people leave because of lowered wages. I hope the management and board to the Fort Wayne Philharmonic consider investing in one of the most integral names of our music scene in this city.
I feel that live orchestral music is a crucial element of any modern, healthy society and culture. Please support these musicians. Who wants life without art and music? Thank you.
Please bring back our wonderful Philharmonic musicians!
Professional Musicians and Artists DESERVE professional pay and conditions.
Please invest in a living wage for your orchestra, musicians contribute to a thriving arts economy that makes a city a destination for business, residents and visitors
An injury to one is an injury to all!
We want Fort Wayne Philharmonic back with the entire members of musicians. The city of Fort Wayne will never be complete without the regular artistic performance of our beloved orchestra.
Why can't we all acknowledge the value of the arts? Together.
Our Philharmonic is such an asset to our city.
Holiday POPS always a treasured memory for our family.
For 25 years I have attended the Phil with my grandparents. It is one of the most cherished set of memories I have with them. We shared this love with my children for the first time is 2019 before the pandemic. I am heartbroken at the idea of that not being able to continue if you proceed with this terrible path to dismantle the large orchestra. Please reconsider for this three generation family.
Our Philharmonic orchestra is a sparkling, beautiful gem in our community! The musicians must be treated and compensated as the professionals they are.
We believe the Fort Wayne Philharmonic is vital to our community. Both of our children have been heavily influenced by our local musicians and now play stringed instruments. If we want Fort Wayne to thrive to its greatest potential, we must stand by our local musicians. The FW Philharmonic enriches our lives and they deserve our gratitude.
I am saddened by the lack of support for the musicians. I am longing for the day to hear them play.
Fort Wayne is very fortunate to have such a robust musical presence in the northeastern portion of Indiana. Please continue the budget of The Fort Wayne Philharmonic as it has become a vibrant part of the cultural life in your area.
I grew up ushering at the Embassy in the 70s and 80s. Bring back the dignity and glory to the Phil!
So sad. Please do the right thing for our played and community.
I support the Fort Wayne Philharmonic musicians! I'm really looking forward to the Patriotic Pops concert at Parkview Field!
We need more music -not less - to unify the community and our country during this painful time. The musicians of the Fort Wayne Phil are part of the solution and bring beauty to our troubled world.
Music is vital to our minds, bodies, and spirits. Please consider the detriment that it would cause this community with it.
The way you've treated FW Philharmonic musicians has been despicable. You should all be ashamed of yourselves. I used to name the Phil as one of the main attractions and reasons I was drawn to live in Fort Wayne, but not anymore. You are an embarrassing group of people to starve your workers & hold them hostage without pay or benefits during a killing pandemic.
Good luck, you guys! I hope management learns to respect musicians and treat you as equals!
Support all the way!!!
Please take good care of your musicians. You would not have an orchestra without them.
The Fort Wayne Philharmonic is a valuable asset to our community!
Music is important, not only for our ears, but also for our general well-being
Music needs a home. Make this yours.
It is not the musicians who should be penalized for the pandemic. Other orchestras have survived with a little ingenuity.
YOUR MUSICIANS ARE WORTH THE MONEY!
The Arts are NOT a business! It's an investment in a culture where all benefit. This level of musicianship requires a total commitment of one's life and energy. Stop getting in the way!!!
In what world does this happen????? The MGT and board should be ashamed of themselves!!!
Our musicians deserve better and are an important part of our community
Please save the orchestra! This is such a big part of my life growing up in Fort Wayne! As a high school violinist, my teachers have all been members of the Phil and have been such an inspiration for me. Let's continue to value music in Fort Wayne!
I'm a member of the Fort Wayne Children's Choir, and we greatly enjoy collaborating with the Phil for concerts. A loss of the Phil would mean loss of concerts for the FWCC, which in turn affects other people too. Praying for you!
Pay the MUSICIANS
The Phil is a jewel of Fort Wayne and we want it back.
Bring back the music!!!!
Our musicians deserve better and are an important part of our community
Want to go on record as supporting the musicians of the Philharmonic