SAN ANTONIO – The Symphony Society of San Antonio announced it will cancel the rest of the season through June after failing to come to a contract agreement with the musicians’ union.
“We remain hopeful that if we can return to negotiations we could have some concert activity in the coming months,” the Symphony’s statement said.
Mary Ellen Goree, the musicians’ negotiating committee chair, said the union would not return to the negotiating table until the Symphony raises its spending budget above $5 million.
“That is a number that does not sustain a full-time, full-size professional orchestra,” Goree said.
The Symphony’s plan to cut staff and salaries is at the core of the negotiations. It said its goal is to be fiscally responsible in its statement,
“The Board of Directors is committed to living out the mission of the Symphony with the vision of sustainability, stopping the cycle that has plagued the Symphony for decades,” said Corey Cowart, the Symphony’s executive director.
“We have a fiduciary duty to operate in a way that no longer relies on emergency funding so we can finally grow the organization sustainably and reliably deliver our mission year after year. We need to follow the guidance we’ve been given in the past: focus on realistic budgeting, one that ensures a viable and thriving Symphony for generations to come.”
But the music will go on. Musicians of the San Antonio Symphony are hosting a series of concerts, including one on May 12 & 13 at the First Baptist Church of San Antonio. Tickets are still available here.
ALSO ON KSAT.COM
What will it take to secure the future of the San Antonio Symphony?