The San Francisco Opera Orchestra went on strike on Saturday, September 12, forcing the cancellation of the company’s opening-night performance and a free concert planned for the following day.
The walkout came shortly before the curtain was due to rise on Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra at the War Memorial Opera House, which was to launch San Francisco Opera’s 104th season.
Musicians said negotiations over a new contract had broken down after talks on Saturday. Their previous agreement expired on July 31, and they are represented by American Federation of Musicians Local 6.
In a statement, the orchestra said management’s offers were inadequate and accused the company of insisting on cuts. It said the musicians had been left with “no other option” but to stop work, while apologising to audiences who had made plans to attend.
San Francisco Opera Orchestra strike cancels opening performances
The dispute also led to the cancellation of Sunday’s annual Opera in the Park concert at Robin Williams Meadow in Golden Gate Park. The free event, which typically attracts more than 10,000 people, was due to feature music director Eun Sun Kim conducting the orchestra and soloists from the autumn season.
The musicians have said management initially proposed a 26 per cent reduction in pay, later improving the offer to a 20 per cent cut. The orchestra argued that the proposals would take musicians’ pay back to levels last seen in 2015 and 2018 respectively.
San Francisco Opera general director Matthew Shilvock said he was disappointed that the musicians had chosen to strike rather than continue negotiating. He said the organisation could no longer sustain a compensation structure established 45 years ago and needed to bring it into line with the current financial realities facing the arts.
“We deeply value the Musicians of the Orchestra and hope that they will return to the pit as soon as possible,” Mr Shilvock said.
The company had already moved its Opera Ball fundraising gala from September 12 to November 12 because of uncertainty surrounding the contract dispute. The rescheduled event will be held at San Francisco City Hall and will no longer include the staged opera performance.
Ticket holders for the cancelled Simon Boccanegra performance can transfer the value of their tickets towards another performance in the 2026–27 season, donate the amount or request a full refund.
