Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Musicians Reach Landmark Three-Year Agreement
TL;DR
The BSO's new contract offers musicians a competitive edge with a 12% pay increase over three years, reaching $101,350, enhancing talent attraction and retention.
The three-year agreement includes structured 3%, 4%, and 5% annual pay raises, revised audition processes, and maintained benefits like 11 weeks vacation.
This agreement strengthens community access to symphonic music, supports education programs, and ensures the BSO remains a cultural cornerstone for future generations.
The BSO's new blind audition process eliminates resume screening and trial weeks, setting a potential industry standard for fair hiring practices.
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The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and its musicians, represented by the Musicians' Association of Metropolitan Baltimore, have finalized a new three-year collective bargaining agreement that represents the most financially ambitious contract in over a decade. The agreement includes a 12 percent increase in minimum musician pay over three years, reaching $101,350 by the 2027-28 season, while maintaining the full-time musician complement at 85 members including two librarians.
Mark Hanson, president and CEO of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, emphasized the mutual respect underlying the negotiations, stating that the agreement reflects the organization's appreciation for musician artistry while enabling revenue growth through operational flexibility. The new contract incorporates revised scheduling provisions that allow the BSO to better respond to audience expectations and performance opportunities, creating a foundation for sustained financial growth that supports continued compensation increases.
Jeremy Buckler, chair of the Players' Committee, highlighted the agreement's significance for both current musicians and future generations, noting that the contract empowers the orchestra to build on its legacy of world-class artistry while attracting and retaining top talent. The revised audition and tenure review processes represent a potential industry standard, featuring ground-up redesign that guarantees equal opportunity for all candidates through blind auditions without resume screening or trial weeks.
The new operational framework includes fully screened auditions from first through final rounds, elimination of internal auditions while allowing tenured musicians automatic advancement to national audition final rounds, and improved feedback mechanisms with formalized evaluation criteria. These changes, developed through months of open dialogue between management and musicians, demonstrate a shared commitment to fairness and artistic excellence that could influence orchestra practices nationwide.
Barry Rosen, Board Chair, acknowledged the collaborative spirit of negotiations, crediting the orchestra's negotiation committee, management team, and board of directors for their unwavering support. The agreement, effective from September 15, 2025, to September 10, 2028, maintains competitive benefits including 11 weeks paid vacation, 30 days sick leave, employer-paid pension contributions, and comprehensive medical and dental coverage.
This landmark agreement positions the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for continued growth as a cultural cornerstone, with the upcoming gala concerts at the Music Center at Strathmore and Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall serving as celebration events that support the orchestra's educational and community programs reaching thousands across Maryland.
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