The New York Philharmonic Reaches Agreement with Musicians’ Union

The New York Philharmonic and its musicians’ union have come to a collective bargaining agreement that includes a significant raise for the orchestra members. The deal, reached on Thursday with Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians, will see a 30% increase in pay over the next three years.

Under the terms of the agreement, musicians will receive raises of approximately 15% in 2024-25, followed by 7.5% increases in both 2025-26 and 2026-27. By the final season of the deal, base pay for orchestra members will reach $205,000.

Ratification of the new contract is expected to occur on Friday, with the agreement set to be in effect from Saturday through September 20, 2027. This new deal comes after a four-year contract that included pay cuts due to the pandemic was set to expire this week.

Currently, the New York Philharmonic is operating without a music director, with Jaap van Zweden having departed at the end of the 2023-24 season and Gustavo Dudamel set to take the helm in 2026-27. The orchestra is also in the process of finding a new CEO following the sudden departure of Gary Ginstling in July after only one year in the position.