Lyric Opera contends its diminishing audience can no longer support as many weeks of performances as in the past. At issue is management’s contention the previous contract no longer reflects the company’s economic reality.
The musicians’ contract with the opera company expired June 30. Also cancelled was Friday’s performance of “Choir! Choir! Choir!” “Anthony Freud and Lyric management are demanding radical cuts that would decimate the orchestra and forever diminish Lyric Opera,” the musicians say in a statement.Īs a result of the strike, the Lyric cancelled Thursday’s matinee performance of Puccini’s “La Boheme” and Saturday’s opening night for Mozart’s “Idomeneo.” have been cancelled. The opera company also wants to cut the pay of remaining musicians by 8 percent and the number of working weeks by two weeks to 22 weeks. Many of the operas we perform don’t need an orchestra of 74.” “The thing is that currently, the core number of musicians is 74. “What we are suggesting to the orchestra is that we reduce the number of core players through attrition and with voluntary retirement benefits,” said Lyric Opera CEO Anthony Freud. The musicians set up a picket line outside the Civic Opera House on Tuesday and played excerpts from various operas as they expressed opposition by the opera company to cut the number of orchestra musicians by five. The 64th season of the Lyric Opera of Chicago was disrupted Tuesday when musicians walked off the job Tuesday to protest cuts proposed by management.
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