Sir Simon Rattle and Sir Mark Elder warn about the challenges ahead for orchestras
The conductors wrote an open letter detailing the grim future orchestras face in light of the coronovirus pandemic
Conductors Sir Simon Rattle and Sir Mark Elder have written an open letter about the grave circumstances the UK's orchestral scene will face if urgent action isn't taken to protect the cultural economy.
The letter was published in the Guardian newspaper and offers a heartfelt plea for the lives of professional musicians currently affected by the pandemic.
"We badly need clarity from government," says the letter, "a timeline, of when that might be and how it can be implemented. We understand that we cannot expect to revert to everything as it was before; we will be creative and tireless in making contingency plans and solving problems."
In their letter Rattle and Elder (who previously curated a Sunday Night Scala On The Podium episode) said,
"We refuse to believe that live music will die, but it will not survive merely on energy and optimism. It will need support and understanding, particularly when it ventures out in public once more. The first year of performing with fewer musicians to a much smaller public will be our toughest time, and we will need a helping hand to make it through."
Rattle and Elder's letter comes a day after the Guardian reported some arts chiefs reporting that classical music organsiations could go to the wall in twelve weeks time if action wasn't taken.
Read the full letter on The Guardian website.