In Saturday’s (5/28) Duluth News Tribune (Minnesota), Christa Lawler writes, “When Clare Chopp and Kevin Hoeschen were told their contracts with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra would not be renewed, fans of the duo took action. About 30 of the Youth Orchestra conductors’ former students protested with signs outside of a DSSO board meeting. A Facebook page titled ‘Save Kevin Hoeschen and Clare Chopp!’ attracted nearly 500 fans. A petition was circulated. Two months later the decision made by the DSSO’s then outgoing executive director Andrew Berryhill has been overturned by the DSSO’s interim executive director Buzz Palmer. Both conductors will be given a one-year contract, Palmer said. ‘From my perspective, they’re the people in place, and it made sense to keep working with them,’ Palmer said. ‘They’ve done a good job over the years. It made sense.’ … Chopp and Hoeschen had gone into what they said they thought was a routine meeting with Berryhill in March when he told them the DSSO planned to take its youth program in a new direction. … Palmer said he was aware of the petition, protest and Facebook page and said he talked to a lot of people before reinstating Hoeschen and Chopp.”
Posted May 31, 2011
