Well This Was Unexpected

Of all the news items I expected to see over the weekend, one that was no where near my radar was the surprise from Joshua Kosman reporting that Mark C. Hanson, CEO of the San Francisco Symphony, will step down from the position Aug. 31, 2021. “The San Francisco Symphony is a dynamic organization, and it has been a true honor to lead them through complex transitions and challenges,” he said …

Read more

Taking A Week Off

After a few unexpected curve balls over the weekend, I decided to take a week off of blogging but if anything big happens by way of the brewing labor disputes, I’ll likely pop back in for an overview. Having said that, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out an article by Joshua Kosman in the 1/19/2021 edition of the SF Chronicle that examines San Francisco Symphony’s new digital streaming …

Read more

While Still Painful, Short-Term Concessionary Agreements Are The Best Option For Most Orchestras

The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra recently announced a 30 percent cut in musician wages for the rest of 2020 and the 11/2/2020 edition of the San Francisco Chronical published an article by Joshua Kosman that provides important content. This is not a new deal, rather, a reopener, which is when both parties agree to amend terms in an existing agreement. The agreement’s full term is through November 2022. Given that the …

Read more

Top-Tier Musician Compensation 2019

It’s time to revisit base musician compensation levels at the top eight highest paying orchestras. For a number of these orchestras, the 2018/19 season marks the end of their existing collective bargaining agreement (CBA). In each of those instances, the outcomes will have a large impact on what many orchestra musicians consider their organization’s ability to compete for the best on-stage talent. We’ve been tracking these values since the 2009/10 season …

Read more

Some Early Details About San Francisco Symphony’s New Real Estate Equity Sharing Clause

Adaptistration People 102

Back in November, 2018 we first heard about a new component in the recently ratified San Francisco Symphony collective bargaining agreement (CBA) designed to offset the cost of housing in San Francisco. According to inside sources, the exact language for that term were to be worked out post-negotiation. At the time, details were scarce but we’re starting to see some information emerge, such as this description from the musicians’ settlement bulletin (a …

Read more