Concordia Concert

Regarding Terry McQuilkin’s invidious review (July 9) of the Concordia Orchestra’s all-Beethoven program, in which I was the concertmaster: Any imperfections in the performance (and, honestly, there were some) are attributable to the verities of an inchoate orchestra (e.g., limited rehearsal time, an austere budget, disparate players drawn from professional, student and community sectors).

Los Angeles as the capital and cultural leader of the Pacific Rim has many fine creative artists struggling toward artistic efflorescence. I feel strongly that critics have an ethical obligation to act in a constructive and supportive fashion. All artistic endeavors cannot be judged by elitist criteria.

RUSS CANTOR

Los Angeles