San Fran Symphony is silenced by strike
OrchestrasThis weekend’s season opening concerts of Verdi’s Requiem have been called off after chorus members called a three-day walkout.
Ticket holders for last night’s concerts were given two hours notice. Some were already on their way in to the hall.
The orchestra of San Francisco Opera issued an imediate solidarity srarement:
San Francisco has long been home to one of the most distinguished classical music communities in the world. We stand in support of the members of the Symphony Chorus in their actions for a new contract, not only because it is needed to ensure that they can continue to live and create art here, but also because the draconian cuts they face threaten the future of the artistic culture in San Francisco.
It’s back to the mattresses.
Why the picture of CSO?
The San Francisco Symphony (Salonen’s orchestra) and the orchestra of the San Francisco Opera are separate entities.
Are they a full time chorus that is salaried? Do other symphony orchestras have choruses that could strike? I’m just asking because it seems to me that very few orchestra concerts I go to seem to involve a chorus.
I think that some orchestral choruses have a core of paid singers and a regular larger group of auditioned volunteers. That’s largely because any given piece the orchestra plays may need only a small women’s chorus or a large mixed chorus, etc. But even at a busy orchestra like the CSO the chorus may only get 5 or 6 concerts.
American and European choruses generally have a salaried corps of singers, it’s just in the UK we expect most of us to do it for free and for love!!