In Thursday’s (8/30) Indianapolis Star, Jay Harvey reports, “The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra has offered revised terms to its musicians after the Star published revelations of the vast distance between the two parties on Tuesday, according to musicians negotiating committee chairman Rick Graef. The Indiana State Symphony Society, the body that runs the orchestra, is now asking the musicians to agree to a 38-week annual schedule that would result in the loss of one or two pops concerts, four to six classical concerts, and approximately half of the summer performances at Conner Prairie annually, says Graef. Drastic cuts to this season’s ‘Symphony on the Prairie’ were proposed separately earlier this year under the current contract and promptly rejected. The move is on the table now, however … The Society also withdrew a proposal on Wednesday to add four students to the orchestra at reduced pay to partially offset the loss of the 24 musicians management is seeking to cut from the orchestra. … Music director Krzysztof Urbanski is staying out of the controversy according to his agent, Jennifer Spencer. ‘He hopes an agreement can be reached that meets the overall needs of the organization and the musicians,’ Spencer wrote. Management has declined to speak publicly about the negotiations.”
Posted August 30, 2012
