What they really earn in German orchestras

Yesterday’s claim that musicians at Frankfurt Oper were seriously underpaid, lying 27th in the national pay league, prompted us to call up some stats from the national orchestra association, DOV.

First, a German correction.

The Frankfurt Oper players are not 27th in the league. They lie 26th. Good to know that.

Now, here’s the top ten:

1 Berlin Philharmonic

2 Munich, Bavarian State Opera

3 Munich Philharmonic

4 Gewandhaus Leipzig

5 Staatskapelle Berlin

6 Bavarian Radio, Munich

7 SWR Stuttgart

8 Sachsische Staatskapelle Dresden

9 Bamberg Symphony

10 NDR Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg

And how much do they earn?

Tutti players in the Berlin Philharmonic are paid on average 114,000 Euros (US$128,000, UK£98,000)

Bavarian State Orchestra, in second place, make 89,000 Euros.

Frankfurt, in 26th place, pays 76,000 Euros per head (US83,000, UK£64,000)

Fair? unfair? How do they compare?