Dobrin: Retiring From An Orchestra Is Matter Of Conscience

Retirement from a symphony orchestra is a tough thing. How do you know when it’s time to go? asks Peter Dobrin. But there are musicians in the Philadelphia Orchestra who are there and need to understand that. “Once again, the orchestra finds itself in need of family therapy. In this nasty contract fight, management and players once again hardened their positions as adversaries. Resistance to retirement has emerged as an act of protest, at least so far. But musicians should remember that their most solemn responsibility is to the art form, and sometimes that means knowing just the right moment to sound the swan song.”