Public Support Stops Ouster of Conductor

Bolstered by an outpouring of support from musicians and the public, Brentwood-Westwood Symphony Orchestra founder Alvin Mills has survived an attempt by the orchestra’s board of directors to force him to step down as conductor.

Ten of the board’s 14 members, including president Leah Bergman, have resigned in the wake of the controversy.

“I’m sorry it all happened,” Mills, 70, said this week. “But I’m glad it’s over and that it’s worked out satisfactorily for me. . . . We want to go on as if nothing has happened. I’m not bitter.”

Past and present board members say the attempt last month to replace Mills with assistant conductor Steven Kerstein was part of an effort to revitalize an orchestra that has been burdened by shrinking donations and cuts in contributions from county and city arts programs.

The plan was to improve the orchestra’s sound by hiring more professionals to play concerts and relying less on amateurs from the community, board members said, adding that Mills and the board also were at odds over what music should be performed.

“Lacking funds, the programs became questionable,” said Howard Engelman, a former board member and past president of the orchestra who, at Mills’ invitation, has agreed to return as president of the new board. “The board members all meant well.”

Mills, the conductor of the orchestra for 39 years, has long advocated placing amateurs alongside professionals during performances. About a third of symphony participants come from a night class that Mills teaches at Paul Revere Middle School in Brentwood, where most of the concerts are held.

Eleven board members are needed to form a quorum and officially reinstate Mills, according to Grusha Paterson, one of the remaining board members.

Paterson said the decision to fire Mills and promote Kerstein was reached in a series of confidential meetings over the past few months. Kerstein was among the board members who resigned.

Paterson said she was offended by the secrecy, so she warned Mills of the impending ouster. Mills and his supporters went to work calling old friends, resulting in an outpouring of letters and phone calls decrying the board’s imminent action.

Many professional musicians, such as Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra principal flutist David Shostac, rallied to Mills’ side as a pay-back for helping them get started in their careers.

About 20 Mills supporters picketed homes where board members met to decide whether to fire Mills on June 3.

Mills was appreciative.

“I’ve loved this orchestra and this community,” he said. “It’s great to see them give back some of that love, and it’s touched me very much. I’m very grateful.”

Bergman, who did not return phone calls from The Times this week, earlier accused Mills and his son, Bob, of invading her privacy by giving out her home number and address to protesters and the news media.

In her resignation letter, she charged that Mills and his son had “created and fostered this dissension in a desire to cause the association to follow their own wishes, desires and policies rather than to permit the board of directors to act independently and in a manner that it thinks best for the benefit of the association.”

In notifying Mills of its decision to replace him, the board offered him the honorary title of conductor emeritus and two years’ salary--$4,000.

Mills did not accept the offer, and he did not hear from the board again until he learned of the resignations on July 2.

“The board realized that the community is solidly behind Alvin Mills,” Paterson said. “The community was simply outraged. . . . It was enough to make the board resign. They must have realized that it’s just no use.”

Engelman said he hopes to tap into the outpouring of support shown during the last few weeks. Board members and volunteers to help with mailings are needed.

One project under discussion is the establishment of a junior orchestra that would develop the talent of young players and fill in where beleaguered public school music programs are leaving off, Engelman said.