Cynthia Hersey, a major donor to the San Francisco Symphony, criticized the drastic program cuts and leadership vacancies following the music director's departure announcement

Last month, world-renowned music director Esa-Pekka Salonen announced that he would be leaving the San Francisco Symphony, reportedly because of the orchestra's cutbacks in innovative and educational programming, cancellation of tours, and unwillingness to reinstate musicians' full salaries after the end of the pandemic. Nearly two weeks after, in the face of public outrage, the orchestra released an unsigned statement claiming that despite having an endowment of more than $325 million, they would need to continue cutting programs due to financial pressures.

Cynthia Hersey is a longtime supporter and major donor to the San Francisco Symphony. She believes that “the cultural impact of the San Francisco Symphony is important to San Francisco, reflecting the innovative and creative expression that is at the heart of the city.” Cynthia Hersey called for greater transparency in the Symphony's finances and decision-making. She stated “The failure of leadership to release financial documents only adds to the angst... I urge the Board of Directors to lead with transparency, engage openly with all stakeholders, and chart a course that both addresses immediate challenges and secures the Symphony's position as a pillar of cultural excellence. It is my hope that the Symphony's leadership will build a future for the organization that focuses on growing audiences, revenues, and donations, rather than weakening the artistic product and the institution's standing by continually cutting programs.”