Musicians say they will not perform the 12 September season opener unless a new agreement is reached, while San Francisco Opera says its proposal would maintain current annual earnings.
The musicians of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra have warned that they will not perform on the opening night of the company’s 2026–27 season on 12 September unless a new collective bargaining agreement is reached with management.
The orchestra’s previous contract expired on 31 July. San Francisco Opera confirmed in its announcement of that agreement last year that the two-year deal covered the period from 1 August 2024 to 31 July 2026 and included a commitment by both sides to negotiate a multi-year contract in the next round of talks.
In a message released ahead of the new season, the musicians said they were giving audiences advance notice rather than risk patrons arriving at the War Memorial Opera House unaware that the performance could be affected.
“We are writing to let you know that the musicians of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra will not be able to perform on Opening Night, September 12, unless management has reached a fair contract with us before then,” they said.
According to the musicians, management initially proposed what they characterise as a 26% pay cut, which they say would have returned them to 2015 wage levels. They say the proposal has subsequently been revised to the equivalent of a 20% reduction, corresponding to their 2018 pay.
San Francisco Opera disputes that characterisation. The company told the San Francisco Chronicle that its latest proposal is a five-year framework that would gradually change the structure of orchestra compensation while maintaining musicians’ current annual earnings over the five-year period. Negotiations have been under way since May, and a mediator has joined the talks.
The dispute also reflects differing views over the financial condition and future direction of the company.
The musicians point to increased subscriptions and ticket sales, six sold-out productions during the past three years and growth in donations. They argue that successive reductions in the number of performances have contributed to the Opera’s financial difficulties rather than solving them, and are calling for more performances, longer runs of successful productions and a strategy aimed at expanding audiences and the company’s activity.
Management, however, says San Francisco Opera faces a structural deficit of approximately $15 million a year and that its current operating model is unsustainable. According to figures provided to the Chronicle, ticket sales account for only about 15% of the company’s budget. Its latest audited financial statements showed $13.8 million in ticket revenue and $82.6 million in operating expenses for the financial year ending in July 2025.
The musicians stressed that they remain at the negotiating table.
“We are not walking away from the table,” they said, adding that they want both a contract providing stability and compensation that keeps pace with San Francisco’s cost of living, and a working relationship with management aimed at reversing the contraction of the company’s season.
San Francisco Opera’s 104th season is scheduled to open on 12 September with Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra, conducted by Music Director Eun Sun Kim. Amartuvshin Enkhbat takes the title role, alongside Eleonora Buratto as Amelia, Joshua Guerrero as Gabriele Adorno and Christian Van Horn as Jacopo Fiesco.
The labour dispute could also affect the company’s traditional free Opera in the Park concert, scheduled for the following day, 13 September, at Golden Gate Park, where Kim is due to conduct the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and singers from the autumn season.
“There is nowhere we would rather be on September 12 than in the pit,” the musicians said.
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