The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, which last year looked to be on the verge of shutting down, has signed a new five-year contract with its musicians that maintains the orchestra’s year-round season and increases its complement of full-time players.
The musicians agreed to 26 percent pay cut in the first year of the contract, to account for scheduling and financial strains due to the coronavirus pandemic. In subsequent years, pay will rise gradually to base salaries of $90,100 in the 2024-25 season, about 10 percent more than players made in the last year of the previous contract.
The orchestra’s roster of musicians will increase from the current 75 to 84 in the 2024-25 season.
The Baltimore Sun’s Mary Carole McCauley reports on the pact and ecstatic reaction to its ratification:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/music/bs-fe-20200828-actub77gozf5ratpf5l3dr7nzi-story.html
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