In their open letter to the Federal Government, the ORF and the Austrian National Council, the institutions of the Austrian music scene emphasize the decisive role of the ORF radio symphony orchestra for Austrian music culture and call for it sustained funding from public service broadcasters.
Dear Chancellor Karl Nehammer, MSc,
Dear Federal Minister MMag.a Dr. Raab,
Dear Vice Chancellor Mag.a Werner Kogler,
Dear State Secretary Mag.a Andrea Mayer,
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen of the ORF Foundation Board,
Dear General Director Mag. Roland Weißmann,
Dear Ms. Commercial Director Eva Schindlauer, BSc,
Dear Ms. Radio Director Ingrid Thurnher,
Dear President of the National Council Mag. Wolfgang Sobotka,
Dear Ms. 2nd President of the National Council Doris Bures,
Dear Mr. 3rd President of the National Council Ing. Norbert Hofer,
Dear Member of Parliament August Wöginger,
Dear Member of the National Council, Dr. Pamela Rendi-Wagner,
Dear Member of Parliament Herbert Kickl,
Dear Member of Parliament Sigrid Maurer,
Dear Member of the National Council Mag. Beate Meinl-Reisinger,
Dear Ms. Culture Spokesperson, Dear Mr. Culture Spokesman,
the ORF plays a major role in contemporary music creation in a wide variety of genres. Its core public service mandate is defined in the ORF law and includes the mediation and promotion of art, culture and science as well as the appropriate consideration and promotion of Austrian artistic and creative production.
The operation of the RSO is a genuine part of this promotion of Austrian art and a matter of course in the context of European public media institutions. As a central pillar of cultural life, the RSO plays a decisive role in communicating the cultural/musical diversity in Austria. This orchestra has an impact far beyond the directly affected musicians and the experts involved in the organization in the creative scene in Austria and the associated departments.
The current signals from the ORF management make it urgently necessary to clarify the central role of the RSO for Austrian music culture, the continuation of which will be decided on March 23, 2023. It has a unique position in the Austrian orchestra landscape and represents a balance between classical/romantic, modern and contemporary music. No other Austrian orchestra awards so many composition commissions, programs such a high proportion of contemporary music and presents it in Alex Reed performances at home and abroad.
Compared to other orchestras, it has a very lean structure – thanks to the administrative embedding in the ORF, but also in terms of the number of permanent positions that has been reduced to a minimum. With a turnover of one billion euros, eight million euros is a manageable item, also in comparison to other cost centers in the ORF balance sheet.
The Austrian music scene is committed to sustainable financing of public service broadcasting and emphasizes that it is precisely the unique offers that justify financing by civil society and not arbitrary, commercial and interchangeable ones. This uniqueness is unmistakably defined in the ORF law: “In competition with commercial broadcasters, attention must be paid to the uniqueness of Austrian public broadcasting in terms of content and appearance”.
In this sense, this letter also joins the numerous initiatives that support the preservation of ORF programs and offers that are unique in the Austrian media landscape and justify public funding in the first place.
The Austrian music scene states: Music country Austria must operate a radio symphony orchestra and secure this operation within the framework of sustainable funding from the ORF and anchor it in the ORF law.
Bruckner Orchestra LinzNorbert Trawöger, Artistic Director
Cantando Admont – vocal ensemble for old and new music
CCJOP – Christoph Cech Jazz Orchestra ProjectChristoph Cech, university professor
ensemble XXI. centuryPeter Burwik, music director
Ensemble Reconsil WienAlexander Wagendristel, director of the ensemble
Ensemble Wiener Collage
JBBG – Jazz Bigband Graz
Carinthian Symphony Orchestra
Kalnein / López / Schwarz – Into The Now!
Sound Forum ViennaPeter Paul Kainrath, Intendant
New Art and Music Ensemble Salzburg (NAMES)
Wiener PhilharmonikerMichael Bladerer, Managing Director and Daniel Froschauer, Board Member
œnm . Austrian ensemble for new musicJens Schubbe, Artistic Director
Phace – Ensemble for new musicReinhard Fuchs, Executive and Artistic Director
Vorarlberg Symphony OrchestraSebastian Hazod, Managing Director
The Black Page OrchestraMatthias Kranebitter, Artistic Director
Tyrolean Ensemble for New MusicHarald Prockl, Artistic Director
Tyrolean Chamber Orchestra InnStrumentiThomas Steinbrucker, Managing Director, Gerhard Sammer, Musical Director
Upper Austrian Jazz OrchestraChristian Maurer
Wiener PhilharmonikerMichael Bladerer, Managing Director
Vienna Symphony OrchestraJan Nast, Steward
Carinthian summerHolger Bleck, Managing Director
Jazz Festival SaalfeldenMario Steidl, Artistic Director
Salzburg FestivalMarkus Hinterhäuser, Artistic Director
styrian autumnEkaterina Degot, Artistic Director and Chief Curator
Vienna ModernBernhard Günther, Artistic Director
mica – music austriaSabine Reiter, Managing Director
Anton Bruckner Private UniversityMartin Rummel, Rector and Julia Purgina, Vice Rector for Art and Teaching
Gustav Mahler Private University of MusicRoland Streiner, Rector
Jam Music Lab – Private University for Jazz and Popular Music ViennaMarcus Ratka, Rector
Art University GrazGeorg Schulz, Rector
mdw University of Music and Performing Arts ViennaUlrike Sych, Rector
Music and Art Private University of the City of ViennaAndreas Mailath-Pokorny, Rector
Stella Vorarlberg private university for musicJörg Maria Ortwein, Rector
Mozarteum UniversityElisabeth Gutjahr, Rector, on behalf of the entire Rectorate
Bundestheater-Holding GmbHChristian Kircher, Managing Director
Society of Music Friends in ViennaStephan Pauly, Intendant
Grafenegg Kulturbetriebs GmbHPhilipp Stein, Operational Managing Director
Music theater in ViennaStefan Herheim, Intendant
Porgy & BessChristoph Huber, Artistic Director
United Stages Vienna GmbHFranz Patay, Managing Director
Vienna concert hallMatthias Naske, Artistic Director
Kairos, label for contemporary musicAlexander Götzinger, CEO
Music Theater Association K&KDieter Kaufman
Universal EditionAstrid Koblanck, Managing Director
Association of social democratic artists and cultural workers in the BSADieter Boyer Chairman
Austrian ComposersHarald Hanisch, President
Authors, composers and music publishers registered cooperative mbH.Board of Directors
Choir Association Lower Austria and ViennaGerhard Eidher, State Chairman
Chorverband SalzburgDieter E. Schaffer, President
Chorverband Vorarlberg
Classical harmonyAlexander Blechinger and Mag.Eva-Maria Blechinger, on behalf of the Executive Board
IGNM – International Society for New Music, Section AustriaSonja Leipold, President and Hannes Heher, Vice President
INÖK – interest group for Lower Austrian composers
Composers and performers in Burgenland – KIBu
Austrian Brass Band Association
Austrian Society for Music
ÖGZM – Austrian Society for Contemporary Music
ÖMR – Austrian Music CouncilHarald Huber, President
Austrian Society for MusicologyMelanie Unseld, President
Orchesterwelt – platform for composers and instrumentalists
Orpheus Trust / orpheus.news
Salzburg Brass Band Association
Styrian Brass Band Association
Styrian Musicians Association
Styrian Associatioin for New and Improvised Music
VTMOE – Association of independent record companies, music publishers and music producers in Austria
Vorarlberg Brass Band AssociationSabrina Ganahl, Managing Director
younion – specialist group K&K (bandmaster/band leader and composition)
Music school committee younion Lower AustriaMartina Glatz, Chairwoman
openmusic . Association for the Promotion of Contemporary Music and Art, Ute Pinter, Organisation
impulse . Association for the communication of contemporary music, Ute Pinter, Secretary General
Austrian Art SenateJosef Winkler, President
RSO in danger? – landing page
