San Francisco Symphony Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen’s first orchestral series concert of his final season was canceled just two hours before musicians were set to hit the stage as members of the chorus decided to go on strike.

The Symphony Chorus told the Chronicle it plans to form picket lines at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19, in front of Davies Symphony Hall — an hour before the Verdi Requiem concert it was scheduled to perform with Salonen. By 5:30 p.m., there were already a handful of Chorus members with signs in hand, including one that read: “No contract = No Chorus.”

The Symphony confirmed that due to the strike, the three performances of Verdi’s Requiem through Saturday, Sept. 21, “have been canceled and will not be rescheduled.” Musicians were informed at around 3:30 p.m., with ticketholders notified at 5:15 p.m. Patrons have until Aug. 21, 2025 to exchange their tickets for another performance, donate their ticket or request a refund.

“We tried to get a deal with them today but (Symphony leadership) just went ahead and canceled the entire weekend,” said Anna Peabody, senior negotiator for the American Guild of Musical Artists, the labor union representing the 32 paid professional singers of the 152-person Chorus.

The Chorus is expected to be joined tonight by orchestra musicians, box office staff, backstage staff and San Francisco Opera musicians, among other supporters, according to AGMA.

“Pay your workers like you should,” the strikers chanted. “Hey S.F. Symphony, it’s about time. What you pay us is a crime.”

On Thursday, the orchestra’s administration proposed a one-year freeze on all contract terms, maintaining current wage levels for AGMA Chorus members at “more than $22,000 per year for 26 performances, 53 rehearsals, and 26 warm-up hours at a rate of $131 per hour for performances and $73 per hour for rehearsals,” according to a statement posted to the Symphony’s website.

Our latest contract offer to the AGMA members of the SF Symphony Chorus is fair, equitable and competitive,” the Symphony’s statement read. “Our offer to maintain current wage levels reflect our commitment to the Chorus, especially in light of the challenging financial pressures this organization is currently facing.

Since their collective bargaining agreement expired in July, union members have been negotiating with Symphony leadership for higher wages and equitable cuts across the organization.

An earlier proposal by the administration would have cut the choristers’ compensation by 65% and reduce their programs to just five per year from up to 11 in past seasons.

“The decision to authorize a strike is never taken lightly, but the chorus members of the San Francisco Symphony have demonstrated incredible unity and resolve in the face of a management unwilling to negotiate fairly,” said AGMA President Ned Hanlon, a full-time chorister at the Metropolitan Opera, in a statement.

Symphony Executive Director Matthew Spivey and Board President Priscilla Geeslin have repeatedly said that the fine arts organization is in a precarious financial situation, citing budget shortfalls, dwindling donations and restricted access to its endowment, among other challenges. It forecasts a $12.5 million deficit for the next fiscal year and asserts that temporary cutbacks are essential for survival.

The union argues that the cuts unfairly target the Chorus, whose budget is a fraction of the Symphony’s $75 million total.

“Last year, the (Symphony) pushed for a one-year wage freeze, assuring us they’d have the necessary information to negotiate a multi-year agreement this year. Instead, when we began negotiations in May, they demanded an 80% wage cut for the chorus. Now, they've repackaged the same one-year freeze and are trying to sell it to us as something new,” Interim National Executive Director Allison Beck, who was authorized by the AGMA Board of Governors to call the strike in coordination with the Negotiating Committee, stated in an updated posted to the union’s site. “We’re not falling for that again.”

The Symphony said it plans to continue negotiations with the union. No other concerts have been canceled at this time.Compress PDF