norman lebrecht

March 21, 2026

Friends of the BSO who are puzzled by the Board’s refusal to explain its dismissal of the music director are receiving this piece of drivel from the Friends of BSO director:

Thank you for your inquiry. We recognize this is a difficult time and appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with us. I understand how much you care about the BSO and that the decision not to renew Maestro Nelson’s contract as Music Director is a difficult one for many members of our community. I want you to know that your feedback truly matters.

The Trustees all care about this institution as much as you do and take their fiduciary obligation very seriously. They are committed to stewarding the organization over the long run. I love it deeply too. 

I’m sorry that I’m unable to share more context around the Board’s decision. I’m going to pass your comments along to our leadership team and would be happy to direct you to the appropriate contact at the BSO to share our board confidentiality policies in more detail. 

Thank you again for taking the time to reach out. I’m going to pass your comments along to our Board. Please know that they are reading all the emails, and while they may not be able to respond to each message individually, they look forward to continuing to keep our community updated. I thank you for your understanding on that.

Best,

Peter Schlaht

Friends of the BSO