Fort Wayne Philharmonic reaches deal with musicians
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The Fort Wayne Philharmonic announced Wednesday it has reached a tentative contract agreement with the Fort Wayne Musicians Association. The deal, which will expire in August 2026, ends a strike that has been in place since early December.
Musician spokesperson Campbell MacDonald said the four-year agreement gives the musicians their first wage increase since 2019. The contract will bring the musicians’ pay back above pre-pandemic levels and also expands their season to 30 weeks.
“With a new agreement, we will be able to move forward together and return excellent programs and performances to the public,” Philharmonic President and CEO Brittany Hall said in a news release. “The Philharmonic has a bright future, and we are committed to rebuilding our culture to continue to serve as a source of community pride and regional strength in northeast Indiana.”
The musicians went on strike Dec. 8, and MacDonald told our partners at WPTA-TV around that time the musicians’ salaries were cut to $22,000 during the pandemic and hadn’t been increased since. The strike led to the cancellation of several holiday performances.
The Philharmonic said it will return on March 24 with the production of Swan Lake in partnership with the Fort Wayne Ballet. The remainder of the 2022-2023 season will continue as scheduled on April 13.