2 weeks Ago By Francisco Salazar
The San Francisco Symphony has canceled its performances of the Verdi Requiem from Sept. 19 to 21, 2024. The company said, “Due to a three-day work stoppage by the AGMA union members of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, the concerts scheduled for September 19–21 have been canceled and will not be rescheduled.
” Ticket holders will be given the option to exchange their tickets for another performance, receive a refund, or donate their tickets. According to a press release, following the negotiations on Sept. 19, the union members of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus rejected a proposal from the San Francisco Symphony Administration for a one-year freeze on all contract terms, maintaining current wage levels for the AGMA Chorus members.
Rather than continuing to rehearse and perform while bargaining, AGMA informed the administration of their decision to strike this week’s performances of the Verdi Requiem. The administration proposed maintaining the wages, compensating AGMA choristers more than $22,000 per year for 26 performances, 53 rehearsals, and 26 warm-up hours at a rate of $131 per hour for performances and $73 per hour for rehearsals. In the negotiations, the administration also tentatively agreed to 12 primarily non-financial contractual changes proposed by AGMA.
The news comes after the San Francisco Symphony Chorus voted to strike, with members voting 100 percent in favor of the authorization; 98.1 percent of eligible members voted. Esa- Pekka Salonen was set to conduct soloists Leah Hawkins, Karen Cargill, Mario Chang, and Peixin Chen in Verdi’s masterwork.
No further concerts have been canceled at the moment. Categories.
