Twelve members of one of Asia's most celebrated orchestras are facing the music after failing a controversial competence test. The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra has sacked nine string and three non-string musicians who did not hit the right notes during a recent music exam.
The orchestra's music director, Mr Samuel Wong, said yesterday the test was necessary to weed out "incompetent players" who were preventing the orchestra from becoming one of the best in the world.
The unlucky dozen - 10 of whom have been with the orchestra for 10 years - have been told their contracts will not be renewed when they expire in September.
Orchestra members have re acted with fury to the decision, claiming it was an attempt to get rid of local players and replace them with foreigners.
"Our feeling is that management wants to oust local musicians even though the Philharmonic is Hong Kong's only professional orchestra. Now they will hire Asian faces from overseas to avoid criticism from the public."
Another player said he did not believe that the musicians were sacked because they were below standard. He said the test was assessed by the music director alone. "We do not know what criteria he followed to make the judgment."
The musicians accused the government of failing to properly maintain the orchestra, which received a £62 million subsidy last year.
An orchestra spokesman said the decision not to renew the contract of the 12 was purely as artistic one. He said four other positions would not be continued due to budgetary considerations.
A Hong Kong legislator, Mr Cyd Ho Sau-lan, criticised the orchestra management for the move and said it should have offered the musicians a retraining course to raise standards rather than firing them.