Composers, performers, professors, students, listeners, and cultural partners from around the world have joined together to launch an appeal against the fusion of the SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg (SO) and the Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR (RSO).

Due to alleged economic reasons, the SWR (Südwestrundfunk) board members plan to fuse both orchestras despite a large outpouring of protest in Germany and abroad, including major composers and interpreters of new music as well as politicians. Despite a 28,000-name petition compiled in 2012, and two new petitions signed by 160 renowned conductors and 148 composers, plans for a merger continue. We strongly believe that this protest needs to be expanded internationally to prevent a cultural tragedy.

The decision to fuse the two outstanding orchestras, which have developed contrasting artistic profiles over the course of decades, is not only damaging to German musical life, but concerns all new and classical music lovers internationally. This is why we are requesting your support by adding your name to the signatures below. For more information, please contact Aaron Einbond at swr.petition@gmail.com.

"We, the undersigned composers, performers, professors, students, listeners, and cultural partners from around the world are writing to express our deep concern upon learning of the possible fusion of the Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR (RSO) with the SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg. The SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg is highly appreciated at the international level for its unwavering commitment to the emerging music of our time.

The SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg stands as a positive symbol for those of us who support the most innovative and progressive ideas emerging from the orchestral tradition. From its birth, the SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg has been a champion of musical creativity, and it continues today to celebrate and encourage the imagination of living composers. Many symphonic works that made music history and now belong to the repertoire performed around the world were written for and premiered by this orchestra. Its influence has touched all of us and many more, far beyond the borders of Germany, and stands as a point of reference and a promise for those who support new music globally.

To halt the activity of the SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg will severely threaten the classical and modern repertoire, and will negatively impact its musical admirers across the globe. To dismantle this orchestra is to turn one's back on the humanist values of the symphonic tradition, disheartening audiences around the world who believe that an orchestra has the possibility to remain a vital and relevant part of our collective culture and include the public in new expressive experiences.

For all of these reasons, we urge you to reconsider this decision."

Initiated:

Franck Bedrossian, Composer, Professor of Composition, University of California Berkeley

George Lewis, Composer, Edwin H. Case Professor of American Music, Columbia University, New York

François-Xavier Roth, Principal Conductor, SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg

Signed:

David Abramovitz, Pianist, Paris

Ondrej Adamek, Composer, Berlin

Jean-Louis Agobet, Composer, Paris

Kalevi Aho, Composer, Helsinki

Philippe Albèra, Musicologist, Curator, Geneva

Patricia Alessandrini, Composer, Lecturer in Studio Composition, Goldsmiths, University of London

Pascal Amoyel, Pianist, Paris

Gilbert Amy, Composer, Conductor, Paris

Julian Anderson, Professor of Composition and Composer in Residence, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London

Mark Andre, Composer, Professor of Composition, Hochschule für Musik Dresden

Georges Aperghis, Composer, Paris

Teodoro Anzellotti, Accordionist, Freiburg

Richard Ayres, Composer, Heelsum

Séverine Ballon, Cellist, Paris

Vykintas Baltakas, Composer, Belgium

Juliane Banse-Poppen, Singer, Dießen

Klarenz Barlow, Composer, Santa Barbara

Jean-Baptiste Barrière, Composer, Paris

Laura Berman, Curator, Dramaturge, Artist Manager, Berlin

Derek Bermel, Composer, Clarinetist, Artist-in-Residence, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey

Olivier Bernard, Responsable de l'action culturelle, SACEM, Paris

Carl C. Bettendorf, Composer, Conductor, Wet Ink Ensemble, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Columbia University, New York

Sandeep Bhagwati, Composer, Canada Research Chair, Associate Professor, Concordia University Montréal

Oscar Bianchi, Composer, Italy

Pierluigi Billone, Composer, Vienna

Per Bloland, Composer, Assistant Professor of Technology and Music Theory, Miami University, Ohio

Julia Blondeau, Composer, Paris

Thierry Blondeau, Composer, Paris

Pierre Boulez, Composer, Conductor, Paris

Guillaume Bourgogne, Conductor, Ensemble Cairn, Director of Contemporary Music Ensemble at McGill University, Montréal

Paul Cadrin, Musicologist, Professor Emeritus, Université Laval, Québec

Edmund Campion, Composer, Professor of Composition and Co-director, Center for New Music and Audio Technologies, University of California Berkeley

Gautier Capuçon, Cellist, Paris

Mario Caroli, Flutist, Strasbourg

Richard Carrick, Composer, New York

Aaron Cassidy, Composer, Reader in Composition, University of Huddersfield

Bernard Cavanna, Composer, Paris

Raphaël Cendo, Composer, Berlin

Olivier Charlier, Violinist, Paris

Eric Chasalow, Composer, Irving G. Fine Professor of Music, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts

Bruno Chevillon, Contrabassist, Pantin

Unsuk Chin, Composer, Berlin

Jérôme Combier, Composer, Artistic Director of Ensemble Cairn, Paris

Denis Comtet, Organist, Pianist, Conductor, Paris

Gérard Condé, Composer, France

Arshia Cont, Director, Research/Creativity Department, IRCAM-Centre Pompidou, Paris

Pascal Contet, Accordionist, Paris

Marc Coppey, Cellist, Paris

Omer Corlaix, Journalist, Publisher, Paris

Simon Corley, Member of Editorial Committee, ConcertoNet, Paris

Francesc Cortès, Musicologist, Department of Art and Musicology, Universitat Autonòma de Barcelona

Cindy A. Cox, Composer, Professor of Music, University of California Berkeley

Laurent Cuniot, Composer, Conductor, Artistic Director of Ensemble TM+, Paris

Alvin Curran, Composer, Rome

Chaya Czernowin, Composer, Walter Bigelow Rosen Professor of Music, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Marc-André Dalbavie, Composer, Saint-Cyprien

Massimiliano Damerini, Pianist, Genoa

Benjamin de la Fuente, Composer, Paris

Irène Deliège, Cognitive Scientist of Music, Bruxelles

Christophe Desjardins, Violist, Paris

Yaron Deutsch, Ensemble Nikel, Tel Aviv

Christian Dierstein, Percussionist, Ensemble Recherche, Professor, Hochschule für Musik Basel

James Dillon, Composer, London

Denis Dufour, Professor of Composition, Pöle d'Enseignement Artistique Supérieur Paris Boulogne-Billancourt

Hugues Dufourt, Composer, Philosopher, Paris

Aurélien Dumont, Composer, Paris

Frédéric Durieux, Composer, Professor of Composition, Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris

Pascal Dusapin, Composer, Paris

Jason Eckardt, Composer, Professor of Composition, Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York

Moritz Eggert, Composer, München

Aaron Einbond, Composer, Research Fellow, Centre for Research in New Music, University of Huddersfield

Peter Eötvös, Composer, Conductor, Budapest

Lionel Esparza, Producteur à Radio France, Paris

Julio Estrada, Composer, Investigador emérito, Profesor, Universidad Nacional Autónoma De México, Mexico City

Ahmed Essyad, Composer, Meknès, Morocco

Isabelle Faust, Violinist, Professor,Universität der Künste Berlin

Ivan Fedele, Composer, Music Director La Bienale di Venezia

Dror Feiler, Composer, Stockholm

Brian Ferneyhough, Composer, William H. Bonsall Professor in Music, Braun Music Center, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California

Francesco Filidei, Composer, Paris

Joshua Fineberg, Composer, Associate Professor of Music, Director, Center for New Music and Electronic Music Studio, Boston University

Christopher Fox, Composer, London

Luca Francesconi, Composer, Milano

Michael Francis, Chief Conductor, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra

Rémy Franck, Managing Director and Editor in Chief of "Pizzicato", Jury Member of International Classical Music Awards (ICMA), Luxembourg

Fred Frith, Composer, Improviser, Oakland

Annelies Fryberger, EHESS, Paris

Dai Fujikura, Composer, London

Beat Furrer, Composer, Conductor, Ordentlicher Universitätsprofessor, Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Graz

Clemens Gadenstätter, Composer, Professor for Composition and Music Theory, Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz

Michel Galante, Composer, Conductor, Artistic Director of Argento Ensemble, New York

Pascal Gallois, Bassoonist, Paris

Allain Gaussin, Composer, Paris

Anna Gebert, ConcertMaster of Trondheim Symfonieorkester

Zeynep Gedizlioglu, Composer, Turkey

Emilie-Anne Gendron, Violinist, Momenta Quartet, New York

Stefano Gervasoni, Composer, Professor, Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris

Detlev Glanert, Composer, Berlin

Stéphane Goldet, Radio France, Paris

Clytus Gottwald, Komponist, Chorleiter und Musikwissenschaftler, Ditzingen

Russell Greenberg, Percussionist, Yarn/Wire, New York

Paul Griffiths, Music Critic, Writer, and Librettist, Manorbier

HK Gruber, Composer, Vienna

François-Frédéric Guy, Pianiste, Paris

Saed Haddad, Composer, Rostock

Jean-Luc Hervé, Composer, Paris

Heinz Holliger, Composer, Conductor, Oboist, Basel

Toshio Hosokawa, Composer, Shimoshakujii

Nicolaus A. Huber, Composer, Essen

Philippe Hurel, Composer, Artistic Director of Ensemble Court-Circuit, Paris

Clara Iannotta, Composer, Artistic Director, Bludenzer Tage zeitgemäßer Musik

Martin Iddon, Composer, Head of School and Professor of Music and Aesthetics, School of Music, University of Leeds

Eliahu Inbal, Conductor, Conductor Laureate hr sinfonieorchester, Principal Conductor Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra

Dominique Jameux, Musicologist, Italy

Michael Jarrell, Composer, Geneva

Marisol Jiménez, Composer, Mexico

Pierre Jodlowski, Composer, Toulouse

Betsy Jolas, Composer, Paris

Salome Kammer, Actress, Singer, Cellist, Munich

Arthur Kampela, Composer, Berlin

Ursula Kepser, Hornist, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks München

Andile Wiseman Khumalo, Composer, Johannesburg

Evgeny Kissin, Pianist, London

René Koering, Composer, Paris

Bernhard Kontarsky, Conductor, Stuttgart

Olli Kortekangas, Composer, Helsinki

Juha Koskinen, Composer, Helsinki

Dmitri Kourliandski, Composer, Moscow

Johannes Kreidler, Composer, Berlin

Toni J. Krein, President of orchester.ch, Verband Schweizerischer Berufsorchester, Weggis

Gyorgy Kurtág, Composer, Bordeaux

Helmut Lachenmann, Composer, Germany

Bernhard Lang, Composer, Vienna 

Mauro Lanza, Composer, Berlin

Jennifer Larmore, Singer, Paris

Ramon Lazkano, Composer, Paris

Benedikt Leitner, Cellist, Klangforum Wien

Tania León, Composer, Distinguished Professor of the City University of New York

Philippe Leroux, Composer, Associate Professor, Schulich School of Music, McGill University, Montréal

Michaël Levinas, Composer, Pianist, Professor of Musical Analysis, Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris

Igor Levit, Pianist, Hannover

Fabien Lévy, Composer, Professor für Komposition, Hochschule für Musik Detmold

Lei Liang, Composer, Associate Professor of Music, University of California, San Diego

Lucas Ligeti, Composer, Percussionist, New York

Liza Lim, Composer, Director of Centre for Research in New Music, University of Huddersfield

Jimmy Lopez, Composer, Berkeley

Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf, Composer, Musicologist, Professor of Composition, Hochschule für Musik und Theater Leipzig

Keeril Makan, Composer, Associate Professor of Music, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Philippe Manoury, Composer, Professor of Composition, Académie Supérieure de Musique, Haute école des arts du Rhin, Strasbourg

Bruno Mantovani, Composer, Conductor, Head of Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris

Vahan Mardirossian, Pianist, Conductor, Paris

Yan Maresz, Composer, Professor of New Technologies applied to Composition, Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris

Raluca Marinescu Hood, Violinist, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo

Frédérick Martin, Composer, Paris

Diego Masson, Conductor, Paris

Martin Matalon, Composer, Paris

Stephen McAdams, Canada Research Chair In Music Perception and Cognition, Schulich School of Music, McGill University, Montreal

Myra Melford, Performer, Professor of Music, University of California Berkeley

Arnaud Merlin, Producteur à Radio France, Paris

ingo Metzmacher, Conductor, Berlin

Donatienne Michel-Dansac, Singer, Paris

David Milnes, Conductor, Artistic Director of Eco Ensemble, Professor of Music, University of California, Berkeley

Misato Mochizuki, Composer, Paris

Eric Moe, Composer, Pianist, Codirector of Music on the Edge, Professor of Music, University of Pittsburgh

Marc Monnet, Composer, Paris

Eric Montalbetti, Artistic Director, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Paris

Emilie Morin, Artistic agent, Paris

Davitt Moroney, Harpsichordist, Organist, Professor of Music, University of California Berkeley

Gerhard Müller-Hornbach, Composer, Professor of Composition, Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main

Detlev Müller-Siemens, Composer, Vienna

Ryan Muncy, Saxophonist, Exectutive Director, Ensemble Dal Niente, Chicago

Tristan Murail, Composer, Paris

Theo Nabicht, Musician, Berlin

Hideki Nagano, Pianist, Paris

Zsolt Nagy, Conductor, Karlsruhe

Luis Naon, Composer, Professor at Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris and Haute École de Musique de Genève

Olga Neuwirth, Composer, Vienna

Corinna Niemeyer, Conductor, Orchestre Universitaire de Strasbourg

Helmut Oehring, Composer, Bukow

Pauline Oliveros, Composer, Distinguished Research Professor of Music, Department of the Arts, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Yoshiaki Onishi, Composer, Conductor, New York

Pablo Ortiz, Composer, Professor of Composition, University of California Davis

Emmanuel Pahud, Solo Flutist, Berliner Philharmoniker

Fabián Panisello, Composer, Conductor, Madrid

François Paris, Composer, Director of the CIRM National Center of Musical Creation, Nice

Alain Pâris, Conductor, Musicologist, Paris

Hèctor Parra, Composer, Professor of Composition, IRCAM-Centre Pompidou, Paris

Michel Pascal, Composer, Professor of electroacoustic Composition, Conservatoire National à Rayonnement Régional de Nice

Brice Pauset, Composer, Professor of Composition, Hochschule für Musik, Freiburg

David Pauvert, French horn, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo

Antonio Pelligrini, Violinist, Pelligrini Quartett, Emmendingen

Luca Pfaff, Conductor, Strasbourg

François Picard, Professor of Ethnomusicology, Université Paris-Sorbonne

Matthias Pintscher, Composer, Conductor, Musical Director of Ensemble Intercontemporain, Visiting Professor, Juilliard School of Music, New York

Enno Poppe, Composer, Berlin

Alberto Posadas, Composer, Madrid

Ugis Praulins, Composer, Riga

Stefan Prins, Composer, Antwerpen

Gabriel Prokofiev, Composer, London

Natalia Pschenitschnikowa, Composer, Berlin

Choul-Won Pyon, Double-bass player, Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Doha

Thomas Quasthoff, Bassbariton, Professor für Gesang, Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin

Jean-Guihen Queyras, Cellist, Professor für Violoncello, Hochschule für Musik Freiburg

Alexander Rehding, Musicologist, Professor of Music and Chair of the Music Department at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Aribert Reimann, Composer, Berlin

Roger Reynolds, Composer, University Professor, University of California San Diego

Rolf Riehm, Composer, Frankfurt

Jean-Claude Risset, Composer, Grand Prix National de la Musique (France) 1990, Médaille d'Or du CNRS 1999, Marseille

Sebastian Rivas, Composer, Pensionnaire de l'Académie de France à Rome

Curtis Roads, Composer, Professor, Media Arts and Technology, University of California Santa Barbara

Yann Robin, Composer, Paris

Kurt Rohde, Composer, Violist, Professor of Music, University of California Davis

Pascal Rophé, Conductor, Paris

Katharina Rosenberger, Composer, Professor of Composition, University of California San Diego

Tim Rutherford-Johnson, Journalist, Musicologist, London

Kaija Saariaho, Composer, Paris

Rachid Safir, Conductor, Artistic Director of Ensemble Solistes XXI, Fontainebleau

José M. Sánchez-Verdú, Composer, Berlin

Nicola Sani, Composer, President of the Scelsi Foundation, Rome

Rebecca Saunders, Composer, Berlin

Johannes Schaub, AcanthesCulture, Paris

Stefan Schilli, Solo Oboist, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks München

Enjott Schneider, Composer, Professor of Music at Hochschule für Musik und Theater Munich, Board Member of GEMA, President of Deutscher Komponistenverband, Munich

Philippe Schoeller, Composer, Paris

Bruno Serrou, Journalist, Paris

Fabienne Séveillac, Mezzo-soprano, Co-directrice artistique de soundinitiative et HYOID, Paris

Sonia Simmenauer, Artist Manager, "Impresariat Simmenauer", Berlin

Rick Snow, Composer, New Orleans

Alessandro Solbiati, Composer, Milan

Rand Steiger, Composer, Professor of Composition, University of California San Diego

Jonathan Stockhammer, Conductor, Berlin

Michael Spencer, Composer, Head of Composition, University of Leeds

Johannes Maria Staud, Composer, Vienna

Simon Steen-Andersen, Composer, Berlin

Jonathan Stockhammer, Conductor, Berlin

Pierre Stordeur, Composer, Paris

Oscar Strasnoy, Composer, Berlin

Alexander Strauch, Composer, Munich

Marco Stroppa, Composer, Professor, Hochschule für Musik, Stuttgart

Geneviève Strosser, Violist, Paris

Antoine Tamestit, Violist, Rosny-sous-Bois

Todd Tarantino, Composer, Executive Director, MATA Festival, New York

Mark Tatlow, Conductor; Professor, University College of Opera, Stockholm; Artistic Director, Drottningholms Slottsteater

Hans Thomalla, Composer, Associate Professor of Music, Co-Director, Institute for New Music, Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University

Augusta Read Thomas, Composer, University Professor, University of Chicago

Emanuele Torquati, Pianist, Artistic Director Villa Romana, Florence

Christopher Michael Trapani, Composer, New York

Manos Tsangaris, Composer, Cologne

Esa Tukia, Hornist, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra

Ken Ueno, Composer, Professor of Composition, University of California Berkeley

Dimitri Vassilakis, Pianist, Villpint

Peter Veale, Oboist, Bonn

Mario Venzago, Conductor, Bern

Lorraine Villermaux, Managing Director of Les Talens Lyriques, Paris

Ute Wassermann, Vocal Artist, Berlin

David Wegehaupt, Saxophonist, Anubis Quartet, Splinter Reeds, Eco Ensemble, Chicago and San Francisco

Elmar Weingarten, Intendant der Tonhalle Zürich, Zürich

Michael Wendeberg, Conductor at Luzerner Theater, Musical Director of Ensemble Contrechamps, Geneva

David Wessel, Composer, Performer, Co-Director of Center for New Music and Audio Technologies, Professor of Music, University of California, Berkeley

Richard Whalley, Composer, Lecturer, University of Manchester

Aryo Wicaksono, Pianist, New York

Tom Emlyn Williams, Dutch Radio Choir, Council of British Equity, London

Hans Wüthrich, Composer, Kandern

J. Austin Wulliman, Violinist, Spektral Quartet, Ensemble Dal Niente, Chicago

Dorian Xhoxhi, Violinist, Berliner Philharmoniker, Berlin

Franck C. Yeznikian, Composer, France

Helmut Zapf, Composer, Berlin

Hans Zender, Composer, Conductor, Freiburg

Evan Ziporyn, Composer, Clarinettist, Inaugural Director of MIT's new Center For Art, Science and Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts

John Zorn, Composer, Founder and Executive Producer, Tzadik, Artistic Director, The Stone, New York