May 4, 2011 – Last Sunday several supporters of the California Philharmonic (Cal Phil) gathered outside the Los Angeles Arboretum to protest the decision by the Arboretum Foundation and the Department of Parks and Recreation to not renew Cal Phil’s contract for next year (after a 15 year run) and instead become host to the Pasadena Symphony beginning the summer of 2012. Following the demonstration, Cal Phil held a news conference in which the outfit’s representatives voiced their concerns and disappointments. (Read some of their comments here.)
In response to the reporting of the news, the CEO of the Pasadena Symphony, Paul Jan Zdunek, released the following Statement of Clarification earlier today:
- ”The Arboretum invited a number of regional orchestras to submit a response to their Request for Proposal. The Pasadena Symphony Association was one of them.
- The Pasadena Symphony Association’s primary interest in partnering with the Arboretum is to offer Pasadena POPS concerts to the community, in addition to producing a summer season of entertainment offerings at the Arboretum for audiences of all ages and demographics, thus serving the entire San Gabriel Valley Community.
- In 2007, the then separately owned and managed Pasadena POPS approached the Pasadena Symphony Association to discuss an acquisition for the following principal reasons: provide year-round live orchestral music for the entire community; create multiple access points for audiences; complement and enhance each organization’s strengths; serve as a far-reaching cultural resource for the entire community beyond what each could provide individually. No musicians were fired. All musicians from the previous Pasadena POPS organization were given fair and equitable hiring consideration within the standards set forth by the Pasadena Symphony Association.
- Over the years, the Pasadena Symphony, Pasadena POPS and Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra have all performed at various indoor and outdoor venues within this region and will continue to do so. Venues do not solely define the business success of an organization such as the Pasadena Symphony Association or any of our colleagues.
- In June 2009, the Pasadena Symphony Association very publicly released its Recovery Plan for a Sustainable Future, a plan that has been fully realized. The Pasadena Symphony Association expects a balanced budget ending this fiscal year on September 30, 2011. The Association is disappointed that this transparent plan has been altered to discredit the Pasadena Symphony Association by its local colleagues.
- The Board, staff and musicians of the Pasadena Symphony Association recognize it is only one of the many non-profit organizations within the vast community of Arts ensembles that make up the Southern California collective and it remains supportive of all of our colleagues who serve this community.”
Also today a letter from the President of the Arboretum Foundation, Gilbert N. Resendez, was directed to the “Arboretum Friends and Community,” which includes the following:
“Our selection of the Pasadena Pops was the result of a careful and detailed ‘request for proposal’ process. On January 29, 2011, invitations to participate in a selection process were sent to several Southern California symphony organizations; the California Philharmonic and the Pasadena Pops both responded with comprehensive, high-quality proposals. The two proposals were fully assessed and both organizations were interviewed. A detailed analysis of the financial and management strengths of both organizations, among other factors, was the basis for the decision. Because the information submitted by the two organizations is confidential in nature, we cannot discuss in detail the relative merits of the two submissions. This selection process, led by a Los Angeles Arboretum Foundation board subcommittee, was explained to both organizations, and each knew that a decision would be reached last week, following a vote by the board of trustees.
Personally, I have the utmost respect for Victor Vener and the symphony he created. We express our great thanks to Victor and the entire Cal Phil organization for many years of wonderful music, and wish them all the best in the future. At the same time, we look forward to a new partnership with the Pasadena Pops, and to wonderful summer concerts for years to come.”
A reaction from the members of Cal Phil to the above statements is expected.
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