Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra axes three musicians who called for bosses to quit
Three principal players sacked after they demanded resignation of artistic and executive directors
The gloves are off in a fight over "artistic differences" at the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. Board directors have fired three principals - including two sisters who had been with the orchestra for 20 years - with immediate effect over "a lack of mutual trust".
The orchestra council's unanimous decision to terminate the contracts of Hsin Hsiao-ling, Hsin Hsiao-hung and Liu Yang - principals of the orchestra's gaohu, erhu and zhonghu sections, respectively - follows a war of words played out in the media.
Last month the players demanded the resignation of the orchestra's artistic director, Yan Huichang, and executive director Celina Chin Man-wah owing to alleged poor governance and low artistic standards.
The orchestra hit back following a deadlocked meeting last Friday - the only crisis talks between the two sides - saying the musicians "did not present evidence for their allegations".
Yesterday, the orchestra's council said it "concludes the space for collaboration between the three principal players and members of the orchestra has been lost, and in upholding the overall interest of the orchestra, the council has no choice but to end their contracts with immediate effect".
The three players, it said, would receive a month's salary in compensation as well as an end-of-contract gratuity on a pro rata basis.