Just a quick update that Katherine Needleman and Lara St. John are organizing a protest tomorrow at the NY Philharmonic about the orchestra’s treatment of hornist Cara Kizer. The peaceful protest will take place at Lincoln Center, David Geffen Hall, at Noon. The protesters are urging the NYP to release from Kizer from her NDA about her rape case (brought to light last month in this story). The event page on Facebook is here.
The story of Kizer’s rape while on tour with the NYP, and the orchestra’s handling of the situation, with the two alleged perpetrators at first removed from the orchestra, but then re-instated (with back pay) has served as a flash-point for many women. Many of these women have been telling their own stories to Needleman on her Facebook page (also summarized on her Website). One woman writes “I have never known a career in classical music without having to also walk the tightrope of being prey. So, thank you for creating space for the voiceless. It helps so much to hear other women’s stories and know I am not alone.” SO, Enough Is Enough! #TimesUp #MeToo
St John has organized this petition on Change.org requesting that Kizer be released from her NDA (Pictured, St John displaying some of the more than 6000 signatures from the petition.) The Composer’s Collective has also organized these two petitions (open letters), one to the New York Philharmonic, and one to the NY Musicians Union 802 (that worked to get the alleged perpetrators back into the orchestra), the latter has more than 3000 signatures. As the story (by Sammy Sussman) that broke the news makes clear, there are other victims besides Kizer as well, and they are probably also being silenced by NDAs. So the first important step to get them released from these contracts so their stories can be told. Transparency, rather than sweeping horrific events under the rug, is what is needed to change the culture of male entitlement that has been allowed to be the norm for far too long.