The back story is that the Metropolitan Opera board and manager Peter Gelb decided to furlough their world-class orchestra in April 2020. Using the pandemic as

The back story is that the Metropolitan Opera board and manager Peter Gelb decided to furlough their world-class orchestra in April 2020. Using the pandemic as cover, they are now attempting to force the musicians to renegotiate their contract. In the meantime, Gelb hired a group of scab musicians from Vienna to perform in a holiday concert. The Artistic Director of the Met, Yannick Nezet-Seguin, has decided to provide financial support to furloughed Met employees in the form of matching contributions.