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Minnesota Orchestra cancels or reschedules concerts through February 10

Board invites musicians to return to negotiating table in early January with no preconditions

(December 21, 2012) The Minnesota Orchestral Association announced that it has cancelled or rescheduled its concert performances through Sunday, February 10, 2013, noting that negotiations over a new labor agreement with musicians remain at a standstill.  As a means to initiate further talks, the Board Negotiating Committee has issued an invitation to the Musicians’ Union to return to the negotiating table on Saturday, January 5 or Wednesday, January 9, 2013, without any preconditions.

All ticketholders of affected concerts are being contacted and offered a variety of options including the opportunity to exchange tickets for a future concert or receive a refund.  

“We are sorry for the disappointment these cancellations will bring to Orchestra audiences, but without progress toward a new contract and in consideration of the needs of our audiences, guest artists and partnering venues, we believe we have no choice but to cancel these performances,” said Minnesota Orchestra Board Chair Jon Campbell.  “We all want to resume the concert season as soon as possible, and the only way to do that is to sit down together and negotiate a settlement that will help resolve the Orchestra’s serious financial challenges.  We hope our invitation to come back to the negotiating table—which comes without preconditions—can begin that process.”

On December 6, the Orchestral Association posted an operating deficit of $6 million for Fiscal 2012, the largest operating loss in its history, and released the independently audited financial statements for its 2011-12 fiscal year.  The audit was conducted and certified by accounting firm CliftonLarsonAllen.  

Contract talks between the Orchestral Association and its musicians, who are members of the Twin Cities Musicians’ Union (Local 30-73), began on April 12 and are currently overseen by a federal mediator.  The Orchestral Association’s proposal offers a total package averaging $119,000 per musician, including an average salary of $89,000 with $30,000 in benefits per musician.  The proposal also includes 10 weeks of paid vacation and up to 26 weeks of paid sick leave.

Concert Detail:

All ticketholders to concerts through February 10 will be contacted directly by the Orchestra to outline ticketing options.  “We regret the impact of these cancellations on our audiences,” said Minnesota Orchestra President and CEO Michael Henson. “We’ve tried to reschedule as many of the performers as possible for our 2013-14 season, so that our patrons still have the opportunity to see these artists.”

Cancelled Concerts:

  • Vänskä Conducts Future Classics,  January 11

(Note: Composers who were selected to participate in the 2013 Composer Institute and Future Classics concert will have the opportunity to participate in the 2014 program.)

  • Sing the Truth, January 20 
  • Vänskä Conducts Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7, January 24-26
  • Blues at the Crossroads 2: Muddy & The Wolf, February 7
  • Inside the Classics, Brahms’ Symphony No. 1, February 8

Rescheduled Concerts (These programs will be presented during the 2013-14 season with new dates as outlined below)

  • That’s Amore!, January 18 | rescheduled to February 7, 2014
  • Tiempo Libre, January 19 | rescheduled date to be announced
  • Bill Cosby, February 2, 2pm | rescheduled date to be announced
  • Bill Cosby, February 2, 8 pm | rescheduled date to be announced
  • West Side Story, February 9 | rescheduled to March 1, 2014
  • West Side Story, February 10 | rescheduled to February 28, 2014

The Minnesota Orchestra Box Office will be directly in touch with concertgoers to share the following options:

  • Ticketholders may keep their tickets until a new contract is in place and performances resume.  The Orchestra will bank the value of these tickets in the ticketholder’s account and keep in touch by mail.  When a settlement is reached, the Orchestra will contact ticketholders to reactivate the value of their tickets for another concert this season.
  • Ticketholders may exchange their cancelled tickets  now to a future concert this season.  All related fees will be waived.
  • Ticketholders may apply the value of their unused tickets toward a gift certificate.  
  • Ticketholders may consider the full face value of their unused tickets a tax-deductible contribution to the Minnesota Orchestral Association.
  • Ticketholders may request a refund for the full value of their ticket purchase including related fees.
  • For Rescheduled Concerts  --   Ticketholders to rescheduled concerts may choose any of the above options, or they may attend the rescheduled concert presented as part of the Orchestra’s 2013-14 season. Patrons will be seated in the same price section and will not incur any price increases or pay any additional fees.  This option will be honored through the date of the cancelled concert. Patrons with pending reschedule dates will be contacted when a new date is secured.

Minnesota Orchestral Association Ticket Services Representatives will be available to assist with cancelled/rescheduled ticket accommodations via phone at 612-371-5656.  Please note: Ticket Services will be closed for the holidays December 24 through January 1, and will re-open January 2 with standard business hours: Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  To save time, ticketholders are encouraged to conduct ticketing activity online at minnesotaorchestra.org/change.

PRESS CONTACT:
Gwen Pappas, Director of Public Relations
(612) 371-5628 • This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.