Orpheus Signs Two-Year Collective Bargaining Agreement

With musicians and board members working together, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra has signed a new two-year contract that will allow the organization to continue to expand while maintaining the high level of musicianship and artistic collaboration the ensemble has cultivated for the past 40 years. In light of balancing their budget last season, this contract permits Orpheus to move forward in a fiscally responsible manner preserving their five concert season in New York City and nearly doubling the number of national and international tour dates.

Orpheus' Executive Director, Krishna Thiagarajan, is currently in his first full season with the orchestra. Since beginning with Orpheus in January 2013, the orchestra's season has grown to 38 concerts during 2013-14 compared to 26 concerts during the 2012-13 season. Dr. Thiagarajan said, "I am pleased that by working with our musicians we have been able to make changes to the existing contract and are therefore able to increase by almost 50% the number of concerts being performed by Orpheus. Because Orpheus is a per-service orchestra, the increase in services actually results in a net gain to our musicians. And changes to some of our travel rules while on tour have allowed us to add concerts that before would have been impossible to accept."

As well as allowing for an expanded national and international touring presence, the agreement also allows for three recordings, most notably a Beethoven Symphony release, a first for Orpheus in its 40-year history. Orpheus will continue to maintain a strong presence in New York, including a Carnegie Hall series, annual performances at the Naumburg Orchestral Series, and this year's White Light Festival.

Dr. Thiagarajan continued, "At a time where many organizations are cutting back, we are expanding and seeing a strengthening of our business model. None of this would be possible without the collaborative nature of Orpheus. I am especially pleased that the combination of these changes allows for Orpheus musicians to perform together more."

Chairman Richard Rood said, "The negotiating process at Orpheus is indeed rare in our profession. Players, staff, and board have always strived to negotiate agreements that can result in performances of the highest quality, an increasingly greater performance presence throughout the world, wages that are reflective of the immense talents of the musicians, and a balanced budget. Indeed, we all have the success of Orpheus, as one of the world's premiere musical organizations, at heart."

Chairman Marc Mayer said, "This has been an outstanding process - a true testament to what makes Orpheus special."

During the 2013-14 season Orpheus performs in New York City for its four-concert series at Carnegie Hall with soloists including jazz pianist Brad Mehldau, clarinetist Martin Frost, pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii, and violinist Christian Tetzlaff. Orpheus will be in residency at the Cartagena Festival Internacional de Música in Colombia in January and embark on a major ten-concert international tour with Mr. Tsujii to Japan in February. In addition Orpheus will do a five-concert domestic tour with Japanese-American violinist, Ryu Goto.

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