Dallas Opera Announces Pay Cuts and Furloughs For Staff

According to OperaWire, the Dallas Opera has announced pay cuts and furloughs for administrative and artistic staff due to the current health crisis.

In addition, the opera will be reducing the salary of other company members. The salary cuts range from 10-25% and will begin on May 1. Music Director Emmanuel Villaume has voluntarily taken a 25% salary reduction, and general director and CEO Ian Derrer also voluntarily took a similar cut.

All staff members that have been furloughed will continue to receive health benefits through June.

Musicians, stagehands, stitchers, dressers, wig and make-up artists, and production staff will all receive a 50% wage reduction.

"It is with a heavy heart that I announce these painful cuts," Derrer in a press statement. "But they are necessary to stabilize the financial health of our great company for the future. An opera company that is unable to produce opera has no choice but to constrict, even if only temporarily."

Read more on OperaWire.