AN OPEN LETTER TO THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC TO RELEASE PAST AND PRESENT MEMBERS UNDER NDA

Picture of David Geffen Hall. Source: dog97209, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/, via Flickr

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April 21, 2024

Following the public disclosure of Cara Kizer’s sexual misconduct allegations by two fellow players of the New York Philharmonic in New York Magazine on 12 April 2024 (https://www.vulture.com/article/new-york-philharmonic-sexual-assault-scandal.html), we, a diverse community of composers, performers, educators, leaders, and allies, call for the New York Philharmonic to release Cara Kizer and other confidentiality-mandated past and present members of the orchestra from their non-disclosure agreements, effective immediately.

On Thursday, April 18, the New York Times reported Kizer as saying, “While it’s good to see organizations taking action in response to the article,” she said, “I must note I still cannot comment on my story as it relates to this particular organization’s culture.”

Furthermore, the New York article states that in 2018, “In addition to Kizer’s claims, the orchestra learned about [an] earlier rape allegation against Muckey and unrelated allegations of sexual misconduct against Wang.” It is highly probable that other members of the NYPhil cannot speak out about these allegations because of confidentiality agreements.

In its most recent statement about these events, the New York Philharmonic claims it will work toward greater transparency, leaving “no stone unturned” in the third-party investigation of its institutional culture. Its use of non-disclosure agreements is a direct contradiction of this statement, as signatories are barred from speaking with said investigators or pursuing other avenues for accountability.

Until the New York Philharmonic releases all of its members from confidentiality agreements, any third-party investigation is hamstrung; an honest, thorough appraisal of its institutional culture is impossible; and working conditions for all orchestra members remain unsafe.

Sincerely,

• Paola Prestini, composer cofounder National Sawdust
• Kristin Kuster, Composer, Professor of Composition, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• Tina Tallon, composer; Assistant Professor of AI & the Arts, Music Composition, University of Florida; Radcliffe Fellow ’21; FAAR ‘22
• Laura Karpman, composer
• Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum, composer
• Steven Mackey, composer; Professor of Music, Princeton University; Composition Faculty, Curtis Institute of Music
• Sarah Kirkland Snider, composer and Co-Artistic Director, New Amsterdam Records
• William Brittelle, New Amsterdam Records
• Heather McIntosh
• Natalie, artist
• Anonymous, composer
• Matt Barber, composer
• Brandon Scott Rumsey
• Matt Albert, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Chamber Music, University of Michigan
• Rob Deemer, Composer & Director, Institute for Composer Diversity
• Ellen Rowe, University of Michigan
• Evan Ware, assistant professor of Music (Theory and Composition), Cal Poly Pomona
• Ellen Primack, former Executive Director of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music
• Vivian Fung
• Anne Midgette, writer/critic
• Greg Simon — Associate Professor of Composition, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Olivia Davis, composer
• Alexandra Lang
• Celeste Montemarano
• Ariana Corbin
• Deborah Wright
• Brandi David, freelance musician
• Anthony M. Nolan, Band Director
• Garrett Schumann (Lecturer, University of Michigan)
• Charlotte Broome
• Ellon Carpenter
• Ani Berberian
• Margy Waller
• Audrey Good, Toronto Symphony Orchestra
• Robert Ballentine
• Michael Edward Burke
• Justin Carson, freelance oboist, Pittsburgh, PA
• Sarah Sensenig, musician
• Flora Espinoza, oboist, AFM Local 6
• Audrey Morse, music therapist
• Hanna Benn, composer
• Alexandra Smither, soprano
• Blakely Rosengaft
• Rene Orth, composer
• Sara Russ
• Samuel Hartman — 4th Horn Akron Symphony Orchestra
• Aubrey Bergauer, CEO, Changing the Narrative
• Sxip Shirey -composer
• Dr. Cathal Breslin, Pianist
• Jeffrey Zeigler, cellist
• Eve Sicular, musician
• Joel Denney, Music Librarian, Southeastern MN Youth Orchestras
• Red Wierenga, composer/improviser/performer, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Brooklyn College
• Lindsay Kesselman
• Lembit Beecher, composer
• Jimi Michel
• Griffin Candey (Professor, Tennessee Tech University)
• Judah Adashi, composer and faculty, Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University
• Donald Isler, Pianist
• Dennis Bathory-Kitsz, composer
• Taura Stinson (Songwriter/Composer)
• Amanda Stewart- St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
• Claudia Friedlander
• John Norine, Jr
• Heejin Weisbrod
• Jason Treuting, So Percussion/Princeton University/Bard College Conservatory
• Dr. Jason McCool, Boston College Music Department
• Josh Trentadue, composer
• Thomas Cabaniss
• Angela Mills
• Lisa Jablow (Metropolitan Opera)
• Jennifer Wharton, Montclair State University
• Liz Myers
• Julian Maddox, violinist
• Bart Dunn, orchestra librarian
• Casey Springstead, youth orchestra director
• Adam Parnell, oboe
• Michael Clayville, musician
• Kristine Dizon, Founder of The Modern Artist Project
• Lisa Zweben, violinist and violist
• Barrie cooper
• Rebecca Patterson
• LE Gold
• Tom Bachtell, Illustrator
• Justin Wheeler
• Sara Thompson, bassist
• Laura Smolowitz
• Meghan Guegold Hege, The Cleveland Orchestra, Assistant/Utility Horn
• Christopher Lennertz, Composer/Songwriter
• Theo Trevisan, composer/bass-baritone
• Louise Vickerman, Principal Harp Utah Symphony, Faculty UNLV
• Douglas Rosenthal
• Devin Gossett
• Jennifer Ressler
• Mark K Harding
• Melissa Brooks, Cellist, St. Louis Symphony
• Hector Guzman, Casa de la Cultura de Ensenada
• Amy Barston, The Juilliard School
• Janet Carpenter, violinist, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
• Steven W Hoover
• Hannah Herrig
• Lara St John, violinist, film editor and director
• Eliza Rodriguez, flutist and educator
• Eric Berlin — Principal Trumpet Albany Symphony, Professor of Trumpet UMass
• Mary Elizabeth Bowden, trumpeter
• Shannon Merciel
• Alicia Michele Waite, Oregon Symphony
• Dayna Mondelli
• Kristyn Reed, oboist/music educator
• Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), composer
• Imani Mosley, PhD, Assistant Professor of Musicology, University of Florida
• Ray Lustig
• Doug Reneau, Oregon Symphony
• Mariko Findell
• John S. Neurohr
• Sara Su Jones
• Marsha Burke, organist, composer, visual artist
• James Wilt, Los Angeles Philharmonic
• Stacy Lesartre AFM local 20–623
• Ross Gasworth, cellist
• Samuel S
• Christian Brandhofer
• Drew Swatosh, composer, vocalist, and administrator; Co-founder, Raindrop New Music
• David Mickus, horn
• Darci Gamerl
• Gabrielle Molina
• Elizabeth Starr Masoudnia, solo English horn, Philadelphia Orchestra
• Shani Ferguson
• Mary Mackenzie, soprano
• Ching Chang — retired
• Darian Freeman
• Brett Wellman
• Edward Messerschmidt — composer/music educator
• James Koon
• Sara Mullins, Horn
• David Murray, Trombonist
• Lauren Rudy Sherwood
• Laura Dwyer
• Arvilla Wendland, violist
• Eric Edwards- AFM Local 618
• Kara Grafton
• Robert Lauver 4th horn, Pittsburgh Symphony
• Amelia del Cano, Bassoon
• Roshanne Etezady
• Liz Rosa, bassoonist
• Suzanne Seibel
• Thomas Posavac
• Mark Fisher (Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra)
• Brandon Ilaw
• Giulia Rath, trumpet player
• Isabel Tylo, SAG-AFTRA, AFM 802
• Tessa Nojaim, tuba
• Ryan Resky, trumpet/Radio City Christmas Spectacular
• Sarah Steinhardt, NYC piano teacher
• Julie Bridge, Syracuse Orchestra
• Susan Radcliff
• Valerie Potter. Associate Professor of Flute University of New Mexico
• Elizabeth Hardy, Arts Administrator
• Mark DeChiazza, Director
• Lynne Radcliffe
• Dr. Carol Viera, Performing Arts Psychologist and Coach
• Dr. Phillip W. Serna, performer & pedagogue of Double Bass & Violas da Gamba
• Julia Conrad, music writer
• Austin Pancner
• Adrianna Korey
• Ray Lustig
• Zachary Smith
• Isabelle Lavoie
• Parlee Hayden (4k-8th grade Music Teacher)
• gregory brown, artist manager
• Soumili Mukherjee
• Omri Barak, trumpet
• Richard J. Scruggs, Assoc. Professor of Music
• Alyssa Wright, cellist, AFM Local 149
• Jeanine York Garesche, clarinetist, AFM, MASL, Local 2–197
• Joshua Lockhart, Flutist
• Kevin Day, composer and conductor
• Emma Breen
• Kennedy Taylor Dixon, Composer/Performer
• Kirsten Lies-Warfield, The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” retired
• John Turman, third horn Seattle Symphony Orchestra
• Jeana Melilli, Principal flute, Savannah Philharmonic
• Clem Pearson, composer and conductor
• Jessica Butler, Assistant Professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
• Tricia Jöstlein
• Allison Ogden, Composer
• Geoffrey Burleson, pianist; Professor of Music, Hunter College; Piano Faculty, Princeton University.
• Madeline Olson — Principal Harp, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
• Kristine McIntyre, stage director
• Alex Canovas, General & Artistic Director, Young New Yorkers’ Chorus
• Hannah Elizabeth Tobias, Flutist
• Allyson Newman- Composer
• Judy Levine-Holley, violinist in the San Antonio Philharmonic
• Claire Lewis
• Steven Cohen
• Amanda Densmore Boze Musician’s Local 2–197
• Elizabeth Girko, San Antonio Philharmonic
• Heather Meyer, AGMA member
• Austin Teater
• Sarah Hogan Kaiser, Section Bass, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
• Erin Tapia
• Arlene and Larry Dunn, cultural and social justice activists
• Ron Noble retired member of the former San Antonio symphony
• Hanna Choi
• Kevin Day, composer and conductor
• Stephanie Schoonover
• Jeanine Cowen — Professor of Practice, Chair — Screen Scoring Thornton School of Music USC
• John DiCesare
• Brendon Sill, Bassoonist at the New World Symphony
• Lindsay Lam
• Deanna Hoying, Symphony NH
• Michael Tetreault, University of Colorado
• Ganesh Om
• Deirdre Chadwick, BMI Foundation
• Jill Solomon, bassoonist AFM 149
• Joseph Clapper, Stagehand
• Justin Best, clarinetist
• Judd Greenstein, composer, co-Artistic Director, New Amsterdam Records
• Kathryn Parsley (The Daily Singer, Classical Music Industry Nights)
• John Dewhurst
• Patrick Hines
• Catherine Kozub
• Paul Gibson, composer
• Niloufar Nourbakhsh, Composer
• William Harms (Jefferson College alumnus)
• Ana Cervantes, pianist and educator
• Andrea Van Hof
• Rachel Hockenberry, assistant professor of horn, Illinois State University
• Louise Lee
• Yuri Bullon
• Kate Rendall
• Jacqueline Leclair
• Ralph Farris, Co-Artistic Director and Viola, ETHEL // Director of Chamber Music and Viola Faculty, The Longy School of Music of Bard College
• Molly Smit
• Chris Van Hof
• Peter Fitzgerald, composer
• Julia Douglass
• Dr. Jennifer Goltz-Taylor, University of Michigan
• Kayleigh Miller
• Trudy Chan
• Frank J. Oteri
• Amy Kawa Posner
• Kevin Honeycutt
• Eduardo Machado Principal Trombone Brazilian Symphony Orchestra
• Harry Ong
• James Madison Cox, retired Principal Horn, Israel Philharmonic 1990–2023
• Matt Curlee, faculty, ESM
• Emily Stone, Harpist
• Delmar Williams oboe
• Alexis Zingale
• Jim McIntyre, web developer and horn player
• Jennifer Arnold
• Anna Park
• Arhynn Descy, composer
• Jennifer Monroe, contrabassoon, Cincinnati Symphony Otchestra
• Samer Issa
• Jason Treuting, So Percussion/Princeton University/Bard College Conservatory
• Kyla (brass player)
• Katherine Marie Smith, hornist and conductor
• Catherine Turner
• Peggy Quackenbush
• Suzanne Mudge, Trombonist/Educator/Arts Administrator
• oliver bertin
• Carol Dale, D.M., retired tenured university teacher
• Nadina Mackie
• David Lewis
• Julia Burtscher, Toledo, Ohio
• Ayano Hodouchi Dempsey
• Norman Bolter, Assistant Professor of Trombone, Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Retired Trombonist with Boston Symphony and Boston Pops Orchestras
• Rachel Drehmann
• Allan Quan
• Lisa Wienhold. Principal flute Alabama symphony orchestra
• Matt Hoormann
• Carolina Guerrero, MHA
• Jeff Johnson, Oregon Symphony
• Joseph Berger
• Brian Hinrichs, former NY Philharmonic attendee, former executive director of the Bangor Symphony (ME)
• David Lewis
• Trent Austin
• Judith Barnes, artistic director, Vertical Player Repertory Opera
• Tamara Meinecke, violinist, formerly of Louisville Orchestra
• Barrie Cooper
• Katie Fellman
• Romie de Guise-Langlois
• Pat Posey, Locals 6, 7, 47
• Emily Adams (oboist)