Musicians at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) have been locked out of the building in a row over proposed pay cuts.
In a very public protest, the players have taken to picketing outside the ensemble’s hall with drums, horns and hand-drawn signs reading “Baltimore needs Beethoven" and "Don’t Lose Your BSO, Hon”.
The world-class orchestra’s management locked the players out without pay on June 17 in a bid to pressure the musicians into signing a new employment.
The new arrangement would guarantee the musicians 40 weeks of work rather than 52 and increase their health insurance contributions, which they say would equate to a roughly 20 per cent pay cut.
The players say this will make it harder to attract the top talent to the world-renowned institution, and they have now taken to picketing outside of the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, the orchestra’s home since 1982,to make their case heard.
Despite a tough financial climate, the BSO has managed to win plaudits for its performances in recent years. Its leader, Marin Alsop, is the only female female director of a major American orchestra and has been credited for her daring programming and acclaimed recordings.
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AP / The Baltimore Sun
Ms Alsop, who was also the first woman to conduct the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms, has been candid about the impact of the proposed pay cuts.
“We need to invest in the world-class institutions we do have in Baltimore rather than cutting the things that make our city great,” she told the New York Times. “I urge all sides to engage in constructive dialogue to ensure that Baltimore continues to have the great orchestra it needs and deserves.”
The BSO’s management says the cuts are necessary if it is to survive financially.
The row began in May, when the orchestra’s management learned that Maryland’s Republican governor, Larry Hogan, was unlikely to release the $1.6m in emergency state aid that lawmakers had approved for the organisation.
The BSO subsequently cancelled its summer season, which it had only recently announced, and later locked its players out. The lockout was the only way the orchestra can legally stop paying the musicians.
"Due to the Baltimore Symphony’s urgent need to address longstanding financial issues and change its business model, the BSO has made this extremely difficult decision," Peter Kjome, the orchestra’s CEO, said in a statement at the time.
The organisation’s financial woes increased this week when Mr Hogan confirmed that he would not release the funds, saying the orchestra has already received millions from the state.
The BSO’s financial difficulty is not unique – orchestras across the US have been forced to cut costs because of dwindling ticket sales. Several of Baltimore’s other cultural institutions, including the Baltimore Opera Company, have already closed their doors after several decades.
Negotiations between the musicians and orchestra officials are ongoing but the BSO’s management has already said the lockout will continue until September, when the autumn season begins.
"Embracing a sustainable business model will not only solidify our long-term future, but also in turn help us to break new ground and extend our influence even further," the BSO said.
But a number of the musicians have said they are highly unlikely to return then unless a contract agreement has been reached. Many have said they are struggling to meet mortgage payments and other living costs after such a long period without pay – leaving the world class orchestra’s future in doubt.