Since the CSO Association has not bestowed any official post-retirement title on Daniel Barenboim, the musicians of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra have gone ahead and given him an informal title of their own.
At a meeting of orchestra members following a rehearsal late last week, a resolution was adopted stating that, “in the eyes of the musicians of the Chicago Symphony, you are our Honorary Conductor for Life.”
Here, in full, is the statement:
“Maestro Barenboim, This is a difficult time for us. After so many years, it is hard to believe that we will no longer be sharing the transcendent musical experiences we have known with you. Yet we have chosen to celebrate this occasion, not to mourn it. We celebrate first of all our extraordinary good fortune in having had these years together. We will always cherish our memories of what we have accomplished under your leadership.
“We also celebrate because it is simply beyond imagining that this is the last time that you will conduct us. There is too much music left to make.
“So at this time, we do not wish to say goodbye. In the eyes of the musicians of the Chicago Symphony, you are our Honorary Conductor for Life. In this way, we wish to thank you for all that you have given us in the past, and to thank you in advance for all you have left still to give.”
