Concert at Death Camp Stirs Debate

Sent to various lists on May 4, 20000

MSNBC has published another large article on its website concerning the Vienna Philharmonic. Entitled "Concert at Death Camp Stirs Debate," it was prepared by their staff using material from a Reuters report and information I placed on the Internet in March--including the IAWM, gen-mus, Orchestra, and Abigails lists. (Thanks to the owners of these lists for their diligent work.)

The article covers the controversy surrounding the memorial concert the Vienna Philharmonic will give on May 7th in the Mauthausen Concentration Camp, especially in the context of Austria's far-right government and the Vienna Philharmonic's -current- racist and sexist ideologies.

It also contains a link to "Taking On the Vienna Philharmonic," a major MSNBC article published earlier this year giving extensive coverage to the protests against the orchestra led by the International Alliance for Women In Music.

Here is excerpt from the article: "An event intended to celebrate a new Europe of shared democratic values has, however, been overshadowed by Austrian politics and protests against the Vienna Philharmonic's customary exclusion of women and people of color from its ranks."

Please take a look at the full article on the web. I think you might find it very interesting. Here is the URL:

http://www.msnbc.com/news/401935.asp

William Osborne

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