The musicians’ strike at Washington’s National Symphony Orchestra ended less than four hours after it began on Sept. 26, with the musicians and the Kennedy Center, which houses the orchestra and controls many of its administrative functions, settling on a contract raising the musicians’ salaries and improving benefits such as healthcare and parental leave.
Under the new 18-month contract, musicians’ pay will rise to nearly $172,000 by 2026.
The contract “will provide all parties time to come together to settle a longer-term agreement that demonstrates our respect for their artistic contributions and maintains the orchestra’s competitiveness in the field,” the Kennedy Center said in a statement.
The NSO’s season-opening gala, set for Sept. 28 but canceled when the strike was called, went on with the show.
The Washington Post’s Michael Andor Brodeur reports on the settlement:
Letter V 