Burt Hara, principal clarinetist of the Minnesota Orchestra for 26 years, officially announced his resignation last week in a letter to his colleagues.
The orchestra's ongoing leadership issues were clearly a factor in Hara's decision. In his letter, he wrote: "I am resigning now because I do not believe the current leadership has the vision to restore the Orchestra to its place among the great orchestras of the world."
Hara will remain in his current position as associate principal clarinetist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He has officially been on a leave of absence from the Minnesota Orchestra since last May, when he accepted the position with the L.A. Phil.
Hara had actually received permission from Minnesota to extend his leave of absence another year. But, as MinnPost.com reported, he decided that prolonging his leave would "only delay the rebuilding process [of the Minnesota Orchestra]."
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