In Wednesday’s (12/15) Detroit Free Press, Mark Stryker reports, “Detroit Symphony Orchestra music director Leonard Slatkin met with two striking musicians on Sunday, the first time since the strike began more than 10 weeks ago that the orchestra’s chief musical leader has reached out to the players. ‘It was a fact finding mission for me,’ Slatkin said in an email today. ‘I realized that it was imperative to truly understand both parties in this dispute.’ … Slatkin has always remained neutral during the strike, the stance nearly all music directors adopt in a labor dispute, since expressly favoring one side or the other is often a recipe for disaster. … He declined to say whom he met with and what specifically was said. … Asked whether the meeting was a sign that he had decided to become more actively involved, Slatkin said that he was happy to be kept apprised of developments but that he ‘cannot be involved in the settlement. However, if meetings such as this help to establish trust, I could not be more pleased,’ he said. ‘Perhaps the meeting accomplished more than was originally intended. My job really starts when we are back on stage.’ ”
Posted December 16, 2010
