As we make music, we also build community. Today, our community joins in mourning for George Floyd and too many other brothers and sisters who suffer unfairly from systemic racism. Their lives matter. Black lives matter.
It is because we love our country that we emphatically reassert what really makes it great: our collective aspiration for liberty and justice. But we have fallen far short. The legacies of slavery and violence rooted in racism did not disappear in 1865 or 1965 – or 2020.
The struggle continues, in ways that scream out for action. In the past, the MSO has welcomed diverse members, performed works by African-American composers and encouraged young minority musicians. We will learn to do more to engage actively in that essential struggle.
As an orchestra, we assemble for melody and harmony. But far from exempting us from racial strife, this moment calls especially to us – as citizens and artists – to give voice to the long march for equity. We will listen hard and work to answer that call.