New York Philharmonic Players Negotiate $205K Min. Base Pay

Under a new labor contract announced Thursday, New York Philharmonic musicians will receive a raise of 30% over the next three years. That will bring the musicians’ base pay to $205,000 per year, making them one of the highest paid orchestras in the country.

The New York Philharmonic’s leaders praised the new agreement, which the 100 musicians are expected to ratify on Friday when the existing contract expires. “It’s transformative,” Colin Williams told The New York Times. “It speaks to the commitment from the Philharmonic’s leadership to making sure this place is really a destination orchestra.”

Some of the other changes in this new labor contract include provisions that require musicians to play from behind a screen in the final round of auditions. Previously, screens were optional in this final round of auditioning. The rule is intended to make the hiring process fairer and more transparent for all involved. The orchestra will also put into place new protocols to ensure that votes on auditions and tenure are done by secret ballot “to eliminate any possibility of undue influence by individual committee members.”

This contract is the first that the NY Philharmonic has negotiated since the COVID-19 pandemic, which put strain on the ensemble during its closures.

The NY Philharmonic has an endowment of about $237 million and a budget of $90 million, but faces rising costs and a cash deficit of around $8 million. The Philharmonic will pay for these wage increases through fund-raising and other means. It is in the early phases of a money-raising drive called the Dudamel Visionary Fund Campaign, led by Philharmonic chairs Peter W. May and Oscar L. Tang.

Under the terms of the contract negotiated, NY Philharmonic musicians will receive a 15% raise for this 2024-2025 season; a 7.5% raise for the 2025-26 season; and a 7.5% raise for the 2026-27 season.