Conductor Osmo Vanska Returns to Minnesota Orchestra

Good news for classical music lovers in Minnesota and everywhere!  Osmo Vanska is returning as music director of the fine Minnesota Orchestra.  It's been reported that he will be back for concerts the next two seasons and has agreed to the same pay cuts as the musicians. In what will surely be an artistically satisfying way, this brings to an end one of the longest labor disputes between musicians and management of a professional orchestra in the United States.  Vanska officially resigned out of frustration in October of 2013, after the dispute had already gone on for an entire year.  In January of this year, the musicians agreed to a fifteen percent pay cut to end the lock-out.  The Finnish conductor had sided with the musicians and now returns having accepted the same conditions. It's unfortunate that the economic circumstances apparently forced these very good musicians to accept the pay reduction, but the audiences who will be able to hear them perform again in such a winning combination with maestro Vanska at the helm, will benefit greatly.  And so will the rest of us in the music-loving world who hope they will make many more fine recordings. Above they are performing at the Proms in London in 2006.