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Opinion

Letters: Orchestra's strike ill-timed, risky

ISSUE | ORCHESTRA Ill-timed strike Philadelphia Orchestra members' walkout Friday night on a hall filled with patrons was horribly timed ("Orchestra troubles greater than its contract dispute," Sunday). It left the impression that members have little concern for, and even look down on, those in their audiences. The strike should have been called ahead of time, so that patrons would not have been so inconvenienced.

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ISSUE | ORCHESTRA

Ill-timed strike

Philadelphia Orchestra members' walkout Friday night on a hall filled with patrons was horribly timed ("Orchestra troubles greater than its contract dispute," Sunday). It left the impression that members have little concern for, and even look down on, those in their audiences. The strike should have been called ahead of time, so that patrons would not have been so inconvenienced.

Now that members have demonstrated such an attitude toward patrons, it will be interesting to see whether patrons will be motivated to contribute to the orchestra to support the wage increases of 2 percent in year one and 2.5 percent in years two and three that members secured as a result of this three-performance strike.

|Neil Fowser, Medford

Risky maneuver

The short-sighted strike by the musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra (on opening night, no less) was stupid and inconsiderate. With many people already turned off by the orchestra's pompous and elitist attitudes, this foolish move could cost the orchestra its future, because its musicians are living in the past.

It also doesn't help that the management is overpaid and underperforming - the head of a nonprofit making more than $500,000 a year boggles the mind. The musicians and the organization are out of touch with the modern-day realities of the working public, which is why their support continues to decline.

|Nikola Sizgorich, Philadelphia