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Typically orchestral musicians are paid salaries concomitant with other similarly high skilled professions, and orchestra budgets tend to be heavily subsidized.
by prvc 5y ago
Typically orchestral musicians are paid salaries concomitant with other similarly high skilled professions, and orchestra budgets tend to be heavily subsidized. An HR department would inevitably be a substantial added expense.
- CrazyStat 5y agoAt top-level orchestras this is true. For example, at the New York Philharmonic minimum pay was about $150k pre-pandemic, cut to $110k during the pandemic[1]. It is not true at less prestigious orchestras, where salaries are much lower. For example, the San Antonio Symphony tried to lower its base salary from just under $36k to just under $18k this past year[2], which resulted in a prolonged strike (still unresolved 6 months later). There are many more less-prestigious orchestras than top-level orchestras, so most orchestral musicians don't get paid salaries comparable to other similarly high skilled professions. Professional music is not unlike professional sports in this regard. [1] https://nonprofitquarterly.org/new-york-philharmonic-players-agree-to-long-term-pay-cut/ https://nonprofitquarterly.org/new-york-philharmonic-players... [2] https://www.sacurrent.com/sanantonio/san-antonio-symphony-musicians-face-proposed-50-pay-cut-for-2020-2021-season/Content?oid=27048280 https://www.sacurrent.com/sanantonio/san-antonio-symphony-mu...