Nashville, Tenn. (September 22, 2014) – The Nashville Symphony and the Nashville Musicians Association, AFM Local 257, have ratified a new four-year contract. The agreement, which goes into effect immediately, provides for 3-percent increases to the musicians’ salaries during the first two years of the contract. A “wage re-opener” in the contract provides for the negotiation of wages for the third and fourth years of the agreement.
Over the next two years, the contract will restore 6 percent of the musicians’ wages, following a 15 percent reduction in the musicians’ pay in the previous contract, which expired on July 31, 2014.
“We are thrilled that we have reached an agreement which recognizes our musicians’ critical importance to our organization and the sacrifices they have made,” said Nashville Symphony president & CEO Alan Valentine. “We look forward to working with our immensely talented orchestra as we continue to focus on restoring the Nashville Symphony to full fiscal health, and we are grateful for our musicians’ continued commitment to that goal.”
This agreement comes immediately following a record-setting season for the Nashville Symphony, during which the organization broke institutional records for ticket sales and fundraising. During the 2013/14 season, the Nashville Symphony sold 166,000 tickets and generated $8.6 million in revenue — a 26 percent increase in ticket sales from the previous season. In addition, the organization raised more than $6 million in its annual fundraising campaign, an increase of 71 percent from the previous year.
“The Nashville Symphony has experienced a significant turnaround in the past year, made possible in large part because of the genuine spirit of teamwork and cooperation we have established with our musicians,” Valentine added. “This agreement reflects the strength of that that spirit, and we are now poised to deliver another year of outstanding music and community engagement programs to the people of Middle Tennessee.”
The Nashville Symphony’s 2014/15 season is currently under way. The orchestra’s next public performances will feature Yo-Yo Ma with the Nashville Symphony on October 1, followed by an All Rachmaninoff program October 3 and 4. For a full listing of all 2014/15 concerts, please visit: http://www.nashvillesymphony.org/tickets/calendar.
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