Bad news on the orchestral music front: The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra musicians officially went on strike today, forcing the cancellation of this weekend’s concerts, where Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony and two pieces by Shostakovich were scheduled to be performed. At issue were issues involving salary and a planned reduction in the number of paid weeks for musicians. The negotiating team brought in by the musicians’ union, Dallas/Fort Worth Professional Musicians Association, had reached a tentative labor agreement with management last week, but the musicians voted to reject the agreement, leaving things at an impasse.
In a statement released today, the orchestra’s president and CEO Amy Adkins said, “Frankly we are baffled by [the musicians’] decision … we have an obligation to operate the orchestra in a sound financial manner and cannot let the Union force us into poor financial decisions.” I have contacted the union for comment but have received no response at this point. I will update this post if and when I have a response from them. All that’s clear now is, the music has stopped for now.
