Send your letter of protest to the local presenter, with copies to the local newspapers, the Austrian Embassy and the VPO.
Express your disapointment in the choice of the VPO as one of Austria's "cultural ambassadors" directly to Dr. Rudolf Scholten the Austrian Cultural Minister. You could also contact the Austrian Embassy and other Austrian governmental agencies.
Consider also writing a letter to the editor or an op-ed piece for a newspapers. This especially applies to those who are leaders of ANY organizations which support equal rights for women, musical or otherwise. If you can use a professional title that suggests authority, do so. If you work for an organization, get permission to sign the op-ed as a representative of that organization. If your organization demurs about taking a stand on this issue, make a fuss! Discriminatory actions don't end at the edge of the stage or at national borders. Actions and policies anywhere in the world in any field affect all us, and if we don't take a stand for our rights, who exactly will? The Vienna Philharmonic?
Sample Letters
If you'd like to have your letter reproduced on this page, please send a copy to me, and give me permission to use it on this page.
Professor minister@bmwf.gv.at
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Dr. Rudolf Scholten
Federal Minister of Science, Transport and the Arts
Minoritenplatz 5, Postfach 104
A-1014 Vienna
Austria
Email: minister@bmwf.gv.at
Dear Dr. Scholten,
I am writing in support of your efforts to end state support for the Vienna
Philharmonic Orchestra as long as they continues to prohibit full membership to
women musicians. As a classical musician myself, I am sickened to think that any
musical organization would make membership decisions based on gender rather than
musical abilities.
The discriminatory policies of the Vienna Philharmonic have begun to draw
international attention, and their blatant refusal to allow women to even
audition portrays them as a relics from an age long past. Their actions reflect
unfavorably on the city of Vienna and Austria itself, and will cause even
further embarrassment as the relationship between the Vienna Philharmonic
Orchestra and the Vienna State Opera becomes more commonly known, since
it will then seem that the city and state condone this type of discrimination.
Please continue your efforts to separate the Vienna Philharmonic from the
Vienna State Opera. If the reports I've read are accurate, members of the
Vienna Philharmonic receive many benefits from the state through their
positions with the Vienna State Opera - health care, pensions, paid leave to
perform concerts with the Vienna Philharmonic, and so on. There must be
many other benefits as well.
If the Vienna Philharmonic is truly a private club, then it should function as
such, without any direct or indirect support from the state. Private clubs do not
use - for free - the assets of the state. They provide their own administrative
and support staff, their own rehearsal and performances spaces, their own
funds to promote and publicize their activities. Members of private clubs
certainly are not released from their jobs - with pay, no less - to pursue club
business!
Discrimination, based on whatever ground, does not end at the concert stage or
national borders. It effects all of us, everywhere. Thank you for having the
courage to stand up against the Vienna Philharmonic. You represent what is
best about culture and civilization.
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For PBS letters, send a copy of your letter to:
Ervin S. Duggan
President and Chief Executive Officer
Public Broadcasting Service
1320 Braddock Place
Alexandria, VA 22314
Tel: (703) 739-5000
Email: ervin_duggan@pbs.org
Addresses for international public broadcasting organizations
can be found at http://www.pbs.org/insidepbs/ptvinternatl.html
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Gerard Mortier
Artistic Director, Salzburg Festival
Hofstallgasse 140
A-5020 Salzburg
Austria
Dear Mr. Mortier,
I am writing to protest your engagment of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
for the Salzburg Festival. Surely you are aware that they still forbid membership to all
women musicians, regardless of their talent? As a classical musician myself, I am
sickened to think that any musical organization would make membership decisions based
on gender rather than musical abilities.
The discriminatory policies of the Vienna Philharmonic have begun to draw
international attention. Their actions reflect unfavorably on the city of Vienna and
Austria itself, and will cause the Salzburg Festival servere embarrassment. By hiring the
Vienna Philharmonic you provide them with a huge amount of financial support and give
the impression that you condone this type of discrimination.
There are many other orchestras you could engage for the Salzburg Festival, orchestras as
good or better than the Vienna Philharmonic that do NOT make a musician's gender the
basis of evaluation for membership. In fact, you have already hired many of them
already. I urge you to refrain from engaging the Vienna Philharmonic in the future unless
they have women members.
Discrimination, based on whatever ground, does not end at the concert stage or
national borders. It effects all of us, everywhere.
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Isaac Stern, President
Carnegie Hall
881 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 10019
Dear Mr. Stern,
I am writing to protest your support and sponsorship of the Vienna
Philharmonic Orchestra by presenting them in concert in the United
States. Are you aware that they still forbid membership to all
women musicians, regardless of their talent? As a classical musician myself, I
am sickened to think that any musical organization would make
membership decisions based on gender rather than musical abilities.
The discriminatory policies of the Vienna Philharmonic have begun to draw international
attention. Their actions reflect unfavorably on the city of Vienna and Austria itself, and
will soon cause Carnegie Hall embarrassment as well: by your sponsorship you give the
impression that you condone this type of discrimination. I urge you to refrain from
engaging the Vienna Philharmonic in the future. There are many other orchestras
Carnegie Hall could choose to present, orchestras as good or better than the Vienna
Philharmonic that do NOT make a musician's gender the basis of evaluation for
membership.
Discrimination, based on whatever ground, does not end at the
concert stage or national borders. It effects all of us, everywhere.
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Ronald Wilford
President
Columbia Artists Management International
165 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019
Dear Mr. Wilford,
I am writing to protest CAMI's role in organizing the March 1997 United States
performances of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in Costa Mesa, California and New
York, New York. Since you've been honored by the Vienna Philharmonic, I'm sure
you're we;; aware that they have a policy of prohibiting membership to any female
musicians, regardless of their talent. As a classical musician myself, I am sickened to
think that any musical organization would make membership decisions based on gender
rather than musical abilities.
I am certain that there will be an increasing amount of public protest and unfavorable
publicity for the Vienna Philharmonic in the near future, and that
CAMI will end up attempting to explain to the media over and over again your rationale
for organizing, and thereby condoning, performances for an orchestra that engages in
such discriminatory policies in this day and age.
I do not believe that the classical music public will support any organization that so
blatantly celebrates discrimination based on gender (or race, or religion, or
nationality) once they are made aware of those practices. As your own name becomes
associated with that of the Vienna Philharmonic and is tarnished by their actions, the
reputation of CAMI roster will likewise be affected.
Receiving the Honor Ring of the Vienna Philharmonic may not have been such a honor
after all.
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Nora Z. Graham
I am interested in arousing some objection to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
(VPO) presence in the USA, in March 1997, in New York City, and in Costa Mesa,
California (about 35 miles from Los Angeles). Here is the letter I sent to the
sponsoring organization in Costa Mesa, CA
October 8, 1996
Dean Corey, Executive Director
Philharmonic Society of Orange County
2082 Business Center Drive, Suite #100
Irvine, CA 92612
phone: 714-553-2422
fax: 714-553-2421
psmail@ocartsnet.org
http://www.ocartsnet.org/philharmonic/index.htm
Dear Mr. Corey,
I have had the pleasure of attending many concerts at beautiful Segerstrom
Hall in Costa Mesa. I noticed at my last visit that the Philharmonic Society of
Orange County has booked the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (VPO) for
concerts on March 4 and
5,1997.
You may or may not be aware that the VPO organization denies permanent
membership to women (with the possible rare exception of the harp). This has
been their policy for many years and remains so today.
While music organizations all over the world have come to accept the
contributions of women as valuable participants, the VPO maintains adherence
to their discriminatory, backward point of view.
I am sure that if, instead of excluding women, the VPO excluded Catholics,
Jews, or people of color, you would not for a moment consider inviting them
to perform .
It is bad enough that the Viennese put up with this kind of archaic attitude;
we don't need to import it here and support it with our money.
The presence of the VPO in our country is an affront to all women who are
striving to achieve equity in all areas of American life. Our nation is proud of the
strides women have made in entering all the fields that had been closed to them
in the past.
As word of this situation spreads throughout the Los Angeles and Orange
county areas, as it surely will, it will certainly tarnish the wonderful reputation of
the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the Orange County Performing
Arts organizations.
I strongly urge you to cancel this unfortunate booking and engage another
orchestra in its place which reflects our American set of values.
I, and the officers of several Womens' Organizations with whom this has been discussed, await your consideration of this matter.
Yours truly,
From: martin@laurentides.net
Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 11:43:00 -0500
To: wresel@philharmoniker.vienna.at, minister@bmwf.gv.at, psmail@ocartsnet.org, feedback@carnegiehall.org
Subject: VPO: Unacceptable Discrimination Against Women
I am deeply concerned about the Vienna Philarmonic Orchestra's continuing exclusion of female musicians.
Beside issues of equity, I am concerned, as a classical music lover, that the best person for each job may be passed over if her gender is allowed to derail selection.
Gradually, the VPO's reputation will be tarnished by this backward-looking policy that cannot survive in the new more equalitarian world we live in. I intend to boycott the VPO and to support all efforts to bring up this issue whenever it plays or is heard in electronic media, until this crucial matter is resolved in a satisfactory fashion.
Respectfully,
Martin Dufresne, Director
Montreal Men Against Sexism