Overview
- The Musicians of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra announced a strike Saturday and said they would not perform without a new contract, leading the company to cancel the planned opening-night performance and the free Opera in the Park concert.
- Musicians say management first proposed a 26% pay reduction and later a 20% rollback; management counters that its five-year plan preserves annual earnings by changing how pay is distributed over time.
- San Francisco Opera leadership points to audited finances showing ticket revenue far below expenses and says the company runs a structural deficit of about $15 million a year that has been filled by donations and endowment draws.
- Music Director Eun Sun Kim is reported by orchestra members to have said she would resign if musicians struck, a remark not confirmed by Kim or the company as of the latest reports.
- The company offered ticket holders refunds, account credit for future shows, or the option to donate ticket value, and the walkout raises broader concerns about the opera’s ability to retain younger musicians and sustain its reduced post‑pandemic season size.