The Score | Boston Symphony Principal Flute’s Equal-Pay Lawsuit Settled

A new equal-pay law in Massachusetts and the salary of a Boston Symphony Orchestra principal musician were the focus of extensive media coverage in late 2018 and early 2019. In August, Elizabeth Rowe, the orchestra’s principal flute since 2004, filed a lawsuit under the Massachusetts Equal Pay Law, enacted in July 2018. Noting that Rowe’s salary is approximately three-quarters of that of John Ferrillo, the BSO’s principal oboe since 2001, Rowe’s suit alleged discrimination by the orchestra “on the basis of gender by paying her an amount less than other comparable males for comparable work.” The orchestra denied the charges, stating that gender “is not one of the factors in the compensation process at the Boston Symphony Orchestra;” that oboe and flute are not comparable instruments; and that many orchestras set different pay rates for different instruments. In February, Rowe and the BSO entered mediation, and the case was settled in Suffolk County Superior Court. Details of the resolution remain confidential.