O.C. Musicians’ Judgment Overturned

Breach-of-contract allegations by three musicians against the Irvine-based Mozart Camerata chamber orchestra have been rejected by an Orange County Superior Court judge.

Last September, violinist Tanya Bovaird and violists Dmitri Bovaird and Miriam Meyer were awarded more than $1,000 each in the case by a small-claims court judge. But the Camerata appealed the decision, and last week Judge Theodore E. Millard overturned it.

The musicians alleged they were barred from a Camerata rehearsal in February, 1991, despite having what they maintained were oral contracts to play with the orchestra for the full season. The Bovairds and Meyer have not performed in any of the ensemble’s subsequent concerts.

Camerata music director Ami Porat argued that the musicians had no such contracts and that all musicians in the Camerata are contracted only for specific dates.

Judge Millard said he found no evidence that the musicians had been offered contracts for the season.

Tanya Bovaird said she was “very disappointed” by the decision. James Rutkowski, attorney for the Bovairds and Meyer, referred other questions to Frank Amoss, president of Orange County Musicians Assn. Local 7, the union that represents the three players. Amoss is out of town and could not be reached for comment.

Harvey E. Berman, attorney for the orchestra, called the judge’s decision “a complete vindication of our position.”