The Philadelphia Orchestra announces an extension to music director Christophe Eschenbach’s contract through Aug. 31, 2008. “Players of the orchestra responded yesterday with a letter to orchestra chairman Richard L. Smoot stating that they were ‘deeply disappointed and disturbed to receive your announcement… that you had unilaterally determined to bypass the full Board of Directors and had failed to solicit the expertise of Orchestra members in making a decision that will impact the artistic integrity of the Philadelphia Orchestra for years to come’.”