Philharmonic boss dismissal saga continued throughout the year

Ljubljana, 5 December - A stand-off between the staff and the leadership of the Slovenian Philharmonic which started with a token strike in early December 2016, continued throughout the year with efforts to dismiss director Damjan Damjanovič.

Ljubljana
The Slovenian Philharmonic.
Photo: Daniel Novakovič/STA
File photo

Accused of not respecting the regulations governing Slovenia's oldest music institution, neglecting his duties and of using the institution's funds irresponsibly and uneconomically, Damjanovič was dismissed by the Culture Ministry in October. But the saga did not end there as he took the matter to court, where the case is still pending.

Unhappy with the director as well as lead conductor Uroš Lajovic, who stepped down in April, the staff had started stepping up pressure as early as 1 January, when they cancelled the flagship annual New Year's concert. Their efforts bore fruit when the government amended the founding act of the institution to give the staff an additional vote on the board. The new board then proposed the dismissal of Damjanovič, whose third term in office would have ended in October 2018.

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© STA, 2017