Margaret BauerOngoing work stoppages at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) have caused the cancellation of concerts for the past three weeks, including the sold-out performance of violinist Itzhak Perlman scheduled for last Saturday. Over 200 Washington University students had purchased tickets to the cancelled performance through a program by ArtSci Council, the school council of the College of Arts & Sciences.
The musicians have been without a contract since Jan. 3, after six months of negotiations between musician union members and the symphony management. The two parties could not reach an agreement and the work stoppage commenced one day after the union members’ previous contract expired. The musicians’ union has termed the work stoppage a “lock-out” while management maintains that it is a strike.
Union members rejected a new four-year contract in which musicians would accept a pay cut. After making voluntary pay concessions in the past to keep the orchestra alive, musicians say they have earned a raise, although economic constraints may prevent this.
“We’re still very hopeful for a fair solution in the near future,” said Jeff Trammel, director of communications for the symphony.
When asked about how patrons are reacting, Trammel expressed their understanding, although they are disappointed.
“Most of the patrons understand our situation and where we’ve been in the last few years, our economic situation…A few years ago, we were near bankruptcy,” he said.
To avoid bankruptcy, a campaign was started that raised 130 million dollars, although the symphony still experiences financial limitations which make it difficult to offer musicians substantial pay increases.
According to a press release issued by ArtSci Council, about three quarters of students who purchased tickets to the Perlman concert had never attended the SLSO, and about one fourth of them had never been to any symphony. The popularity of the Perlman concert among students was extraordinary, according to the release.
“[ArtSci Council] organized three previous trips to the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra but never had more than 80 students attend. Tickets for the Perlman show were snapped up at an unprecedented rate. The original 80 tickets…for the Perlman performance were all purchased in ten minutes. ArtSci Council obtained 120 more tickets…[The] additional tickets were sold in 20 minutes, and 25 students remain on a waiting list,” the release read.
The line for Perlman tickets in Wohl was so long that one student passing by asked if it was a line for the ever-popular book buyback.
“We’re very excited because there are so many students interested in these concerts,” said junior James Wang, acting vice president and treasurer of ArtSci Council. “You never see a lot of young people interested in classical music.”
The overwhelming sentiment among student ticket holders was disappointment at the cancellation of Perlman’s performance.
“Of course I was disappointed that the concert was cancelled and that the SLSO is on strike, but I can kind of understand why Itzhak Perlman cancelled,” said freshman Laura Garcia. “The man is a veteran of the classical music arena, and I’m sure he doesn’t want to be used as a bargaining chip…but I hope they come to a conclusion.”
The cancellation of the Perlman concert follows a series of cancellations that may continue until the work stoppage is resolved.
ArtSci Council had taken a turn in programming this year by planning near-monthly outings for students to the symphony.
“We thought the orchestra would be a great opportunity for students because it’s a world-class music ensemble, it’s in St. Louis, it’s 15 minutes from our campus, and a lot of students haven’t heard them yet,” said junior Aaron Mertz, president of ArtSci Council. “A lot of students who get tickets for these concerts haven’t been to the symphony before here and some have never been to the symphony at all. So that was another reason why we were so disappointed that [the Perlman concert] was cancelled.”
When asked about how long he thought the strike would last, Mertz responded that he believes everyone is in it for the “long haul.”
But Mertz and Wang are not worried that the symphony strike will be detrimental to the programming of Artsci Council. Other programs as varied as a trip to the Arch and a co-sponsored program with the Italian Club to see the opera “The Barber of Seville” are also planned.
“We have taken ArtSci Council in a different direction this year,” Mertz stated. “We wanted to expand intellectual and cultural awareness on campus by helping students experience the cultural sides of St. Louis and by creating opportunities for students to interact with the faculty.”