The headquarters of the Sibelius software company were closed last night, with the loss of many jobs.
The decision was made by the US company, Avid, as a result of financial trouble. It has terminated the jobs of the development team in Finbury, London, and passed the software over to other programmers in order to cut costs. Although the founding British twins, Ben and Jonathan Finn, offered to buy Sibelius back, Avid declined.
Many composers across the globe use the award-winning programme which, among other functions, enables music to be transferred directly from the piano keyboard to notated score form.
A statement released by the Finn twins said: ‘We naturally feel very sad about this treatment of our friends and colleagues who have been key to making Sibelius a success, and who have become the world experts in this specialised field. We are also very grateful to the many Sibelius users who have expressed their concern and support.’
An online campaign has been established in an attempt to save Sibelius. There has been no comment from Avid.
