Atlanta Symphony Musicians Settle Contract with Management

September 27th, 2012

After a month-long lockout, musicians and management of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) have reached a contract agreement.

The new contract allows the symphony season to begin on time: October 4th. The agreement covers this season and next. But the players union, in announcing the deal late Wednesday, was clear in its dissatisfaction.

Players negotiating team member Christina Smith: “We’ve been living without salary and health insurance for a month now, and those are absolutely considerations to be made. And the voice of the orchestra was heard. That’s why the negotiating committee brought this proposal to the players even though none of us support it and none of us are happy about it.”

ASO President Stanley Romanstein said that, as of Thursday morning, he hadn’t read the players’ news release.

But he acknowledged the rancor of the musicians, responding that the orchestra industry is changing and that change is always difficult, saying, “I think that we are looking at sort of the new normal. I think that we’re trying to understand what our audiences want. And I think that the other thing that will characterize orchestras that succeed moving forward is that they are outward looking and deeply connected to the communities in which they live and work.”

The new contract calls for a shortened concert season, salary concessions, and an orchestra that will not fill seven open positions.