Philadelphia Orchestra Association Reaches Contract Agreement With Musicians

After much speculation that the Philadelphia Orchestra was undergoing another tense contract negotiation, the Association announced this evening that they had reached an agreement with the musicians of the Orchestra.

In an emailed statement, Orchestra representatives wrote that “The Philadelphia Orchestra Association and the musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra have reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement.” Details of the agreement will not be released until it has been ratified by both parties, including Local 77, American Federation of Musicians.

Furthermore, the statement said, “The Association expects the musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra to perform as scheduled in the interim, anticipating ratification.”

The contact negotiations were not-so-subtly hinted at during the Orchestra’s opening-night performance several weeks ago, when several speakers mentioned that the musicians and the Association had not yet reached an agreement, and that the musicians donated their services to play during the papal visit as a service to the community, as the World Meeting of Families did not pay the Orchestra a fee for performing.