Latest updates
Read our recent statements and updates here, directly from the musicians of your San Francisco Symphony.
May 8, 2025
Just the facts
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The Musicians of the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) are currently in negotiations with Symphony management for a new, fair contract after more than a year without a long-term contract. The discussions center around compensation, organizational leadership, programming, and the financial health of the institution.
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Contractual Issues​
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Pandemic Pay Cuts: During the COVID-19 pandemic, SFS musicians accepted pay reductions to support the organization. As of May 2025, these salaries have not been fully restored to pre-pandemic levels.
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Peer Comparison: SFS musicians are the only group among peer orchestras whose pay has not been fully reinstated post-pandemic. The LA Philharmonic was the last of our peer orchestras to have their compensation restored in 2022.
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Management Compensation: In contrast, Symphony management has restored their salaries to pre-pandemic levels and increased spending on administrative costs.
Organizational Leadership and Programming​
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Music Director Vacancy: Following the loss of Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen in March 2024, citing the board’s unwillingness to invest in his artistic vision, the Symphony has yet to announce a successor.
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Programming and Touring: There is currently no announced plan to resume touring or restore previously reduced programming, which are vital components of the Symphony's outreach and revenue generation.
Financial Health
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Deficit Claims: Symphony management initially reported a 10-year deficit of $116 million. However, this figure did not account for growth in net assets deemed "restricted" or COVID-19 relief funding. Their updated calculations now suggest a deficit of only $46 million over 15 years.
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Net Assets Growth: Despite reported deficits, the Symphony's net assets have grown by $106 million over the same 10-year period, totaling $375 million.
Musicians' Position
We are asking for the following:
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Fair Compensation: Restoration of salaries to levels promised in the 2018 contract, adjusted for inflation, to remain competitive with peer institutions.
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Artistic Leadership: Appointment of a world-class music director with board support for their artistic vision.
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Program Restoration: Reinstatement of cut programming and touring activities.
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Financial Transparency and Fundraising: A commitment from the board to proactive fundraising efforts and transparent financial practices to ensure the Symphony's sustainability.
The musicians of the San Francisco Symphony are committed to preserving the institution's legacy of excellence. We seek a fair contract and a collaborative approach to address the current challenges, ensuring the Symphony's continued success and world-class status.
May 3, 2025
A message to our patrons
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We want to thank you for joining us night after night and for the outpouring of support we have received during our negotiations with the Symphony for a new, fair contract.​
We are demonstrating this week because we are incredibly disheartened to see that Symphony leadership has chosen to launch a smear campaign, complete with a misleading website, against their own musicians while they claim to be negotiating in good faith. While we had hoped that management and the board would prioritize the best interests of the Symphony, their offers to date demonstrate that they lack any plan or vision to grow the organization or even maintain its status as a world-class orchestra. Instead, they are insistent upon imposing drastic cuts that will hurt the Symphony for years to come.
We are fighting for the future of the organization. A year after the high-profile and unexpected departure of the Symphony’s music director due to disagreements with management and the board, there is still no new announced music director, no plan to resume touring, no plan to restore programming, and no plan from the board to fundraise or increase philanthropy. Promising young musicians are already beginning to leave or apply for jobs elsewhere.
The musicians have already sacrificed greatly. We took pay cuts during the pandemic, and we are the only peer orchestra in the country that has not had our pay fully restored. While the musicians have taken sustained reductions in salary, Symphony management has not only restored their own salaries to pre-pandemic levels, but they have greatly increased spending on management costs.
The Symphony's conflicting financial claims throughout the last year have not held up to scrutiny. Initially, they claimed a 10-year deficit of $116 million, even though their net assets had grown by $106 million during that same time, to a total of $375 million in net assets.
After reviewing their financials, it was discovered that their supposed “deficits” excluded all growth on net assets they deemed “restricted,” as well as COVID relief funding intended to replace lost revenue. They have now changed their tune and claim a supposed deficit of only $46 million over the last 15 years. What is clear is that their claims of financial distress have been greatly exaggerated and should not be taken at face value.
Management’s initial contract offers would further cut salaries to levels not seen since 2015 and freeze salaries for four years, as well as substantially reduce the size of the orchestra. They remain steadfast on making further cuts to programming and educational offerings, while simultaneously implementing an indefinite pause on touring. These drastic cuts will only make it more difficult to fundraise and attract audiences.
We would like nothing more than to focus on our craft, and perform for the patrons we love. Instead of blaming us for their own mismanagement, it is time for management and the board to negotiate in good faith and present a proactive, positive vision to restore the Symphony to its world-class status.
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