Performing symphonies have had their fair share of debacles this year--and The Metropolitan Opera's problems, while having been solved for now, may have marched to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's doorstep.
The ASO has been fighting a losing battle the last eight months with disagreements of pay and health care cuts for musicians--which effectively have scaled back the size of the orchestra.
In a report at Arts Atlanta, the management's main priority is to secure the financial health of the orchestra. After a deficit running five years in a row, the ASO's debt accumulated a debt of $23 million.
Facing a projected $5 million annual budget deficit, management forced musicians into accepting a 15 percent cut in salary, amounting to a minimum of $27,000 over the last two years.
The ASO dropped the number of full-time performing musicians from 95 to 88 and reduced the season from 52 to 42 weeks. And for the first time in 30 plus years, ASO no longer keeps a full year's schedule.
The company has made significant progress early on but remains unsustainable according to ASO spokesman Randy Donaldson.
President and CEO Stanly Romanstein announced that the company ended its fiscal year on target and on budget. Let's hope the ship can patch its holes and find a way to stay afloat.
A work in progress but Paul Murphy, associate principal violist and president of the Players' Association, said that they hope to reach consensus by September 6.
As for 2014-15, here's what some of the players have to say.
