Minnesota calls a strike
OrchestrasMusicians of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra have voted unanimously to authorise a strike, after working six months without a contract.
Wages are down by 40 percent and the company is unwilling to commit to the permanent size of the orchestra. At present there are 46 musicians, augmented as required by freelancers. They are currently in rehearsals for The Daughter of the Regiment, due to open this weekend.
I read it is very expensive to study music in America.
And when a student graduates the he or she earns
Very little money. If they are not wealthy life must
Be very difficult.
Indeed it is. Especially when the poorer musicians have to try and compete with the ones competitively advantaged by money. That means they have full access to auditions, any teacher or coaches, and superior instruments, and only a pressure to excell, and are much more able to network. If a mentor or patron doesn’t help a poor student, they are pretty well screwed, no matter how talented.
“Learn to code”
– Joe Biden
“Go to work to make the solar panels”
– John Kerry
Farewell to Minnesota Opera. It was nice while it lasted.
Enterprising and interesting as they likely are, Minnesota Opera is a pretty small company – five productions this year. Probably not a huge budget and even a full-time player is probably doing maybe 60-70 services a year? Compared to 300 or more in a Big 10 orchestra? Of course they want to be paid as well as possible, but even under the best of circumstances it’s not much of a living by itself.
Many of them perform with the Minnesota Orchestra and also other regional orchestras.
As subs, not permanent members.
The members are the top level of freelance players in the Twin Cities, and they constantly have to compete with unfairly moonlighting Minnesota Orchestra members. They have a very hard time making a living. And teaching does not pay well in Minnesota, especially adjunct, or through music schools.
Chicago is not in Minnesota.
As for Minnesota Opera, here’s hoping they’ll survive. If they reduce their obsession with woke in the personnel department, they might have a better chance.
It was so nice of Chicago Symphony Orchestra members to take time out of their busy schedules and go on strike for the Minnesota Opera Orchestra.
Minneapolis doesn’t need opera. The city needs to atone for George Floyd or whatever.
No justice, no peace.
Disgusting. If Chauvin had been at the opera, he still would have overdosed.
They shot themselves in the foot performing opening night last night of Daughter of the Regiment.
I don’t know about that. They had plenty of support from the audience.
https://musiciansofmnoperaorchestra.substack.com/p/we-felt-the-love-on-opening-night?r=z402b&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email&fbclid=IwAR2rwyO3dTVn7njFHYlKSnRL3jOzWmTyg-NUU6YSn1FDOvUG_8L7cMBhn6I