Local
Phoenix Symphony players seek financial records as 66 jobs face elimination
Musicians say they want access to the orchestra’s finances and a role in developing a plan after the season was suspended. The planned layoffs would begin after the Nov. 1 performance, with health coverage ending a week later.
PHOENIX — Phoenix Symphony musicians are asking the orchestra’s board to share financial records and work with them on a plan to keep the organization operating, after management announced a season suspension that puts 66 musicians’ jobs at risk.
The suspension is set to take effect after a Nov. 1 performance. Layoffs are scheduled to begin the following day, and musicians’ health insurance is expected to end one week later.
Musician Harry Gonzalez said players had been negotiating with the board and were caught off guard by the announcement. Gonzalez, who is in his third season with the orchestra, said musicians are willing to help address a deficit if they are given enough information to understand the organization’s finances.
The musicians are seeking records related to the orchestra’s financial position, including questions about the outcome of a $60 million fundraising campaign and the status of its reserves. They also questioned decisions to make multimillion-dollar updates to Symphony Hall as the orchestra faced a suspension. The city recently invested $7 million in the hall.
The musicians say they are not asking the public to rescue the orchestra without a plan. They argue that greater transparency would let them and the community help identify options, and they have urged potential donors to seek answers from the board before contributing.
The planned suspension could leave Phoenix without the orchestra’s regular performances and end the livelihoods of dozens of musicians. Players say community support for the orchestra remains strong and that they want to continue performing for local audiences.