“In the wake of canceled concerts and postponed tours, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on Thursday announced a series of financial cutbacks to help sustain the organization through the pandemic,” writes JoAnne Klimovich Harrop in Saturday’s (9/5) Tribune-Review (Greensburg, PA). “The 87 musicians have agreed to a 25% reduction in base salary. Additionally, 75% of the staff has been affected with 30% of full-time staff taking a combination of reduction of hours, furloughs, layoffs and position elimination through attrition. All part-time workers have been furloughed. Music director Manfred Honeck will have a compensation reduction of 30%, as will PSO president and CEO Melia Tourangeau…. The PSO had been scheduled for a European Festivals tour beginning in August…. The cancellation of the international tour ‘has been pretty devastating,’ Tourangeau said…. The orchestra plans to continue its digital series, with another one starting in October…. Filming will begin in the next weeks…. Since March, more than 100 videos, including concerts, have been produced and posted on the orchestra’s digital platforms, with … more than 500,000 views. ‘We know we will get through this and be strong on the other side and bring great music back to the city,’ said Tourangeau.”
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