In Tuesday’s (7/24) Philadelphia Inquirer, Peter Dobrin writes, “Peter Nero has prevailed. His lawyers successfully beat back a move to oust the Grammy Award-winning pianist and conductor as head of the Philly Pops. Nero, 78, who had two years to go on his current contract, will stay on the podium through the end of the 2012-13 season. After that, presenter Encore Series Inc., which sought to reject his contract, will buy out his last season, 2013-14, as it tries to shift to new leadership after what will be Nero’s 3½-decade reign. The new contract between the conductor and ESI was reached in negotiations as the case was headed to a hearing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court last week. … It affirms Nero’s ‘final decision-making authority with respect to music, musicians, instruments, arrangements, rehearsals, staging, guest soloists, and other guest artists.’ … ESI had argued that it could no longer afford Nero, proposing a 40 percent pay cut—though it filed for Chapter 11 not for issues relating to Nero and finances, but rather to the Philadelphia Orchestra Association’s bankruptcy. In the new agreement, Nero agreed to a few minor trims in compensation and a slight reduction in rehearsal time, which saves ESI money.”
Posted July 25, 2012
