“The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra announced Monday that music director Manfred Honeck has extended his contract two more years, through the 2021-22 season,” writes Jeremy Reynolds in Tuesday’s (9/25) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Simultaneously, the PSO board of trustees elected Tony Bucci—chairman and CEO of the marketing and communications company MARC USA—as chairman of the orchestra’s board, and also announced that it had unlocked $1.25 million more in challenge grant funding from the Heinz Foundation. Mr. Honeck’s contract was to expire in 2020. He has been with the orchestra since 2008…. Regarding the challenge grant funding, more than 6,000 donors have contributed upward of $2.5 million in new or increased gifts since March 2017 to unlock the additional $2.5 million from the Heinz Foundation. The symphony unlocked the first half in January and the second half in August, a year ahead of schedule…. Beginning next season, musician salaries will rise from this year’s base salary of $99,197. They will return to the 2016 base of $107,240 the following year. To meet this obligation as well as other organizational needs, the orchestra has previously pledged to raise $75 million by 2021. It has raised more than $28 million to date.”
Posted September 25, 2018
