Mn Orch Assistant Concertmaster Stephanie Arado steps down

Update: Stephanie Arado spoke with MPR's Cathy Wurzer on Morning Edition. You can hear the interview here. 

Concerned that the Minnesota Orchestra has "lost its way,"  Assistant Concertmaster Stephanie Arado announced today that she is leaving the orchestra to teach.

In a letter today to Orchestra President and CEO Michael Henson,  Vice President and General Manager Bob Neu, and Music Director Osmo Vanska, Arado wrote that she is leaving to become a violin instructor at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan.

Arado cited the tumultuous events of this past  year, when management locked out the musicians as a result of the ongoing contract dispute. Had the orchestra performed, she would have celebrated her 22nd anniversary .

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"I have always loved sharing my experience of music with young people, and Interlochen is a place I am honored to be a part of. " 

"However, my decision to undertake this career change now grew out of my sense that the institution that I have devoted my creative energy to for the past two decades -- the Minnesota Orchestra -- has lost its way. " 

"I am excited as I look forward to my new work at Interlochen. But I leave my orchestra life with sadness as I watch this beloved and historied arts institution flounder. "

Arado said her resignation is effective immediately.