Vienna Philharmonic Releases Statement Regarding The Met Opera's Lockout

The Vienna Philharmonic has released a statement regarding the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, OperaWire reports.

Daniel Froschauer, head of the Philharmonic, wrote an open letter, stating that "The world is watching."

As BroadwayWorld previously reported in December, The Met locked out its stagehands amidst a labor dispute between the company and its union.

The Met offered to begin paying many employees up to $1,500 a week if their unions agree to long-term contracts that include a 30 percent cut in pay, but workers believed this to be unfair. This is when Peter Gelb, The Met's general manager, said that stage technicians and shop crew members represented by IATSE Local 1 would have their wages cut, and be unable to continue production of sets at Met facilities for the 2021 season.

"30 percent of the members of the MET Orchestra can no longer sustain a living in New York City due to being faced with no salary from the Metropolitan Opera since April 1, 2020," Froschauer writes. "This number will likely climb higher as the crisis continues."

Froschauer goes on to say that The Met's reputation, and the cultural landscape of the city overall, would be "devastated" by the loss of these artists.

"These musicians have a cultural and economic impact beyond that of bringing great opera to the world; they are teachers and mentors too. They contribute to the communities they live in by inspiring people in all areas and stages of life."

He believes that the orchestra should be supported by the Met's management and by the Government, and that there should be more attention to the cultural devastation before it is too late.

Read more on OperaWire.

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