#RedFlowerCampaign appears with Jim & Margery on BPR @ GBH

Organizers of the BSO Patron Action Network and #RedFlowerCampaign appeared yesterday on GBH’s Boston Public Radio with Jim Braude and Margery Eagan to discuss the growing patron-led movement calling for transparency, accountability, and open dialogue from Boston Symphony Orchestra leadership.

During the segment, Jim Braude addressed the refusal of BSO President and CEO Chad Smith and Board Chair Barbara Hostetter to publicly defend the decision surrounding Music Director Andris Nelsons’ future with the orchestra.

“I don’t know if I speak for Margery, my position, having done this for a couple of decades, is when you can’t, whether you’re a politician or a leader of an orchestra, if you can’t defend your position publicly, it’s because you can’t defend your position,” Braude said regarding Smith and Hostetter.

The comment came as the campaign continues to call on BSO leadership to answer basic questions about the decision-making process, the role of musician input, and the institution’s future artistic vision following the announcement that Nelsons’ contract as Music Director will end after the 2026–27 season.

“This campaign has always been about giving patrons a voice and standing with the musicians who make the Boston Symphony Orchestra what it is,” said George Whiting, co-founder of the BSO Patron Action Network and #RedFlowerCampaign. “Patrons, donors, musicians, and the broader community deserve transparency and meaningful dialogue about the future of this institution.”

“We all want Andris Nelsons to stay, but the even deeper issue is trust,” added Quinn MacKenzie, co-founder.  “Without a strong foundation of trust between the musicians and BSO leadership, I can’t see any future vision being implemented successfully, regardless of the details.  And trust starts with being honest about the process and how we got to this place.”

Since launching, the #RedFlowerCampaign and BSO Patron Action Network have mobilized thousands of supporters through petition signatures, peaceful public actions outside Symphony Hall, and the distribution of more than 3,000 red flowers in solidarity with BSO musicians. Organizers have also formally requested answers from the BSO Board of Trustees, Board Chair Barbara Hostetter, and CEO Chad Smith.

The campaign’s recent messaging centers on three themes highlighted by BSO leadership as pillars of their new strategic framework: programming, partnerships, and place. Organizers argue that those words must now be matched by action.

“Programming depends on artistic trust and continuity. Partnerships must include musicians, patrons, and the community. And place is not just a building or a campus,” Whiting added. “It includes the community surrounding Symphony Hall and Tanglewood, in Boston and the Berkshires, and the audiences who have sustained this orchestra across generations.”

The GBH appearance followed the final BSO concerts of the regular Symphony Hall season ahead of the orchestra’s summer season at Tanglewood. Organizers say there is renewed urgency to keep public dialogue alive as the institution enters one of its most visible and important periods of the year.

The #RedFlowerCampaign began as a small, patron-led expression of solidarity with BSO musicians and has grown into a broader call for institutional accountability. The campaign is independent of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and its musicians.

Stream of yesterday’s interview: Listen now!

For more information, visit StandWithAndris.org.