Three vice presidents departing Atlanta Symphony
Three vice presidents, including two who were on the six-member team representing Atlanta Symphony Orchestra management in difficult contract negotiations with musicians, are departing the orchestra.
The ASO did not announce the moves but on Tuesday confirmed the leaders are leaving at week’s end.
John Sparrow, vice president for orchestra initiatives and general manager, and Donald Fox, executive vice president for business operations and chief financial officer, were key players in the labor negotiations that led to a lockout before a agreement was reached in late September.
Charles Wade, vice president for marketing and symphony pops, is the third long-time leader exiting.
Symphony spokesperson Melissa Sanders declined comment on the departures, saying, “It’s inappropriate to discuss personnel matters.”
In a letter to its board, staff and the orchestra and chorus, obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday, ASO president and CEO Stanley Romanstein underlined a commitment to operating in the black. “If we expect a different financial outcome from that we’ve seen over the past decade, we must do different things and do things differently,” Romanstein wrote.
Faced with a debt projected to reach $20 million next year, ASO management took a hard line in negotiations. The deal cost players $5.2 million in compensation over two years, changed their pay structure and cut their ranks from 95 to 88.
To replace the trio, Romanstein restructured responsibilities of seven ASO staff members, including: finance vice president Susan Ambo adds chief financial officer duties, Julie Fish becomes vice president for operations and David Paule becomes marketing vice president.
“November will be a month of transition,” Romanstein said, “and transitions can be difficult.”
