Photo: Colorado Springs Philharmonic
“After about a year since their last performance, the Colorado Springs Philharmonic and the Pikes Peak Musicians Association struck a new three-year contract that will bring professional orchestral music back to the region,” reports Monica Castillo in Saturday’s (10/9) Colorado Public Radio. “The new deal will begin with a reduced number of concerts and rehearsals for the 2021-2022 season, as well as reduced wages for the musicians. For the next two seasons, both the number of performances and the musicians’ payment will increase incrementally. The new agreement will include health and safety protections, scheduling flexibility and plans for organizational growth. It replaces the previous agreement that became contested last fall and led the musicians to stop playing…. The Colorado Springs Philharmonic will return to the stage for performances of Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Nutcracker’ in collaboration with the Oklahoma City Ballet for Thanksgiving Weekend. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.” The report includes statements by Philharmonic President and CEO Nathan Newbrough; bass trombonist Jeremy Van Hoy, chairman of the Orchestra Players Committee; and Sarah Wilson, president of the Local #154 American Federation of Musicians and a cellist in the Colorado Springs Philharmonic.
