The musicians of the Metropolitan Opera orchestra have ended a period of uncertainty by accepting a collective bargaining agreement on Tuesday. « We are thrilled to be returning to regular performances very soon, and look forward to reconnecting with our audiences, » said the local 802 branch president Adam Krauthamer and the Met Orchestra Committee in a joint statement.
Terms of the agreement were not made public, but according to documents reported by The New York Times musicians and management struck a four-year deal including pay cuts of 3.7 percent, with vows to restore some of that pay once box office revenues hit 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
The Met aims to reopen on September 27 with « Fire Shut Up In My Bones » by Terence Blanchard, the first Black composer to stage a production at the esteemed venue.
Only vaccinated people will be allowed to enter the Met.