“The Boston Symphony Orchestra announced Friday that it will lay off a significant portion of the organization’s administrative staff, effective Sept. 1, as a result of massive revenue losses stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic,” writes Zoë Madonna in Friday’s (8/21) Boston Globe. “The layoffs will affect 50 out of the orchestra’s 180 current full-time administrative employees…. The layoffs are the latest in a stream of cost-cutting measures designed to help the orchestra weather a prolonged hiatus from live performance, which … will extend through at least late November. In April, the BSO announced temporary pay reductions for unionized musicians and furloughs for 70 full-time staffers. The organization also announced a 50 percent pay reduction for BSO president and chief executive Mark Volpe through Aug. 31…. According to a spokesperson, pay cuts will continue into the fall for Volpe as well as BSO music director Andris Nelsons and Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart. Negotiations are ongoing with the BSO’s 93 musicians, whose salary reductions (averaging 25 percent per player) expire at the end of August…. The orchestra has lost $35 million from the 316 concerts and other live events it has canceled so far due to the pandemic.”
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