The San Francisco Opera orchestra has reached a tentative four-year agreement with management, bringing an end to a strike that disrupted the start of the company’s new season.
The deal still requires ratification by union members, but rehearsals are expected to resume ahead of next week’s performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra at the War Memorial Opera House.
The agreement, covering 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2030, was reached after nearly a week of industrial action by musicians represented by American Federation of Musicians Local 6. The financial terms have not been made public.
The walkout forced the cancellation of the opera’s planned season opener on 12 September, as well as a free concert in Golden Gate Park and further performances through 20 September. The company said the dispute centred on changes to working arrangements and the need to address what it described as major structural financial pressures.
San Francisco Opera general director Matthew Shilvock said the agreement addressed “important structural changes” while providing a fair contract for musicians. The orchestra’s negotiating committee said it offered stability for its members.
Simon Boccanegra is scheduled to open on Tuesday, 22 September, with music director Eun Sun Kim conducting. The tentative settlement also ends the immediate threat of further cancellations as arts organisations across the United States face mounting financial and operational challenges.
