Members of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus. Photo by Stefan Cohen.
In Saturday’s (11/16) San Francisco Chronicle, Mariecar Mendoza writes, “The San Francisco Symphony Chorus has renewed its protest against the organization’s leadership, which maintains that choristers’ demands for higher wages and other concessions put the Symphony’s future in jeopardy. As patrons arrived at Davies Symphony Hall on Friday, Nov. 15, Chorus members stood outside the venue, distributing flyers that highlighted their ongoing grievances with management. The leaflet pointed out that the 32 paid choristers, represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists, have not received a pay raise in years and their wages have yet to be restored to pre-pandemic levels. The flyer also emphasized the choristers’ opposition to an 80% budget cut, which they argue unfairly targets the group…. In a mass email sent to patrons during Friday’s performance, Symphony leaders claim the Chorus isn’t being reasonable in light of the organization’s current financial state…. The email read, ‘We urge the Chorus and AGMA to recognize our economic realities and negotiate with us on a fair agreement that rewards their talent and commitment, while also providing flexibility for our organization to continue adapting to the new and challenging climate facing the performing arts in America.’ ”
