Vance George, Chorus Director Emeritus of the San Francisco Symphony, has written an open letter to Matt Spivey, the CEO of the ensemble, in response to proposed chorus budget cuts.

In his letter, George, who served as conductor of the Chorus for 23 years and accepted two Grammy Awards and one Emmy Award on behalf of the ensemble, noted that the proposed cuts were “simply awful” and “deeply insulting to those who have given their time and talent to the Symphony, from the Chorus’s founding to its celebrated half century.”

He notes that time has been invested in developing the ensemble into one of the best in the world and that the cuts would “undermine the Chorus’s artistic integrity.” He closes the letter by urging them to reassess the “devastating damage your proposed cut would have to the Chorus.”

Here is the full letter below:

September 4, 2024

Matt Spivey

Chief Executive Officer

San Francisco Symphony

Dear Matt,

The Symphony management’s intention to make a drastic cut in the Chorus budget is simply awful. It’s a shockingly poor sign for the Chorus’s future, and deeply insulting to those who have given their time and talent to the Symphony, from the Chorus’s founding to its celebrated half century.

Over this time, much devotion has been invested in building the character and quality of the Chorus. This has gained it national and international recognition as (in the words of one acclaimed guest conductor) “a model for the world.” Management’s cut would squander that investment.

Diminishing the role of AGMA members or severely reducing their compensation would undermine the Chorus’s artistic integrity. It would, for example, frustrate maintaining continuity of vocal color and character across programs and seasons, and it would run counter to building group cohesion. The Chorus as a whole is an artistic community, not a random collection of interchangeable parts.

Throughout my 23 years as Chorus Director, and since then when I’ve attended rehearsals and performances, many guest artists, critics, audience members, and patrons have enthusiastically expressed to me what the Chorus’s past and current work means to them. I am profoundly saddened to see the message that the current actions of the Administration is sending to the

Chorus and to the public, that the Chorus’s value to the Symphony is now held in extremely low esteem.

I urge you and the Board to reassess the devastating damage your proposed cut would have to the Chorus, whose character and quality have been lovingly built by its artists—and held in the Administration’s trust—for over fifty years.

Most Sincerely,

Vance George

Chorus Director Emeritus

San Francisco Symphony

cc: SFS Board Officers

The proposed cuts would diminish the budget allotted for the Chorus from $1 million to $200,000. Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen announced that he would be leaving the organization at the end of the 2024-25 season “because I do not share the same goals for the future of the institution as the Board of Governors does.