San Francisco Opera cancels three more performances as orchestra strike continues

The ongoing strike by the San Francisco Opera Orchestra has forced the company to cancel performances through September 20, including the opening of Thea Musgrave’s Mary, Queen of Scots, as negotiations over a new contract continue.

San Francisco Opera has cancelled three additional performances as the strike by its orchestra enters its fourth day , further disrupting the opening of the company’s 2026–27 season.

The cancellations affect performances of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra on September 16 and 19, as well as the September 20 opening of Thea Musgrave’s Mary, Queen of Scots. The next performance currently scheduled to go ahead is Simon Boccanegra on September 22.

The latest cancellations follow the abrupt suspension of the September 12 season-opening performance of Simon Boccanegra, which was called off less than an hour before curtain after the San Francisco Opera Orchestra went on strike. The annual free Opera in the Park concert scheduled for the following afternoon was also cancelled.

General Director Matthew Shilvock said the Opera and the Orchestra had spent “two full days and evenings negotiating” immediately after the strike began.

“It is heartbreaking to have to cancel additional performances, but I remain very hopeful that we will get back to the stage soon,” Shilvock said. “Both the Opera and the Orchestra are working hard to reach a deal.”

Shilvock added that the company remained committed to reaching an agreement that would bring the musicians back to work. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and the city’s Executive Director of Arts and Culture, Matthew Goudeau, joined the bargaining process on Sunday in an effort to help the parties reach an agreement.

The musicians, meanwhile, said they were disappointed not to be performing and maintained that they wanted to return to the War Memorial Opera House.

“We want to play for you. We want to be back at the War Memorial Opera House,” the orchestra said in a social media statement, while accusing management of cancelling the performances rather than meeting what it described as its “reasonable demands for a fair contract.”

The musicians also called on supporters to join them outside the Opera House on September 16 from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

The dispute centres on compensation and the size of the Opera’s season. The musicians have described the company’s latest proposal as a five-year wage freeze that would represent a substantial real-terms reduction when inflation is taken into account. Management disputes that characterisation, saying its proposal would increase wage rates while reducing guaranteed work and maintaining musicians’ seasonal earnings over the five-year agreement.

San Francisco Opera says it faces an annual structural deficit of approximately $15 million and argues that its orchestra employment model must be adjusted to reflect a smaller number of performances. According to the company, it drew $30 million from its endowment last year, including $15 million beyond its regular draw.

The orchestra’s previous collective bargaining agreement expired on July 31. Negotiations for a successor agreement have been under way for several months.

The cancellation of Mary, Queen of Scots adds another significant consequence to the dispute. The new co-production with English National Opera, starring Heidi Stober in the title role, had been scheduled to receive its San Francisco premiere on September 20. The opera’s remaining performances are scheduled through October 4.