As the 2024-25 season begins, the singers of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus have voted to authorize a strike, potentially jeopardizing the season opening performance of Verdi’s Requiem.
According to the American Guild of Musical Artists AGMA, 100% of the paid choristers voted in favor of the authorization, with 98% of eligible members participating. Additionally, 81% of the unpaid singers scheduled to perform pledged to honor a picket line.
Since their contract expired in July, union members have been negotiating with Symphony leadership for higher wages and equitable cuts across the organization. Chorus members contend that Symphony leadership has proposed cutting the choristers’ compensation by 65% and reducing their programs to just five per year from up to 11 in past seasons.
