Phoenix, Arizona Symphony Musicians Demand Financial Records as Season Suspension Nears

The musicians of the Phoenix Symphony are asking the orchestra's board to open its financial records and build a recovery plan with them, one week after management announced that the 2026-27 season will be suspended after a final concert on Sunday, November 1 and that all 66 musicians face unpaid layoffs from Monday, November 2.

Focal News reported on October 26 that the players want records on the orchestra's financial position, including what came of the 60 million dollar CRESCENDO fundraising campaign and the state of its reserves. The musicians also questioned multimillion dollar updates to Symphony Hall while the orchestra moved toward suspension. The city recently invested 7 million dollars in the hall.

Harry Gonzalez, a musician in his third season, told Focal the players were caught off guard by the announcement while negotiating with the board. He said they are willing to help address a deficit if given the information needed to understand the finances. The players say they are not asking the public to rescue the orchestra without a plan, and they have urged donors to seek answers from the board before contributing.

A press release during a contract talk

The Arizona Republic reported on October 27 that cellist Bridget Pasker, a five year member of the orchestra and co-chair of its Orchestra Committee, was seated across the table from symphony leadership for a contract negotiation on Tuesday, October 20 when a press release went out announcing the suspension. The current contract between the union and the Phoenix Symphony Association expires on October 31, which is why the two sides were in negotiations.

Musicians who were not in the room learned the news by email shortly after the meeting ended, and symphony staff learned of the layoffs from the press release. Pasker told the Republic that at a meeting two weeks earlier, where the musicians met the chief executive and board representatives to discuss finances, there was no mention of possible layoffs, and the musicians offered to share in the sacrifice and help raise money.

Under the announced plan, the unpaid layoffs take effect on November 2, the day after the final concert. The musicians' health insurance is covered through November 30, and after that date they will be uninsured, the Republic reported.

What management has said

The symphony announced the suspension on October 20, saying it lacks the money to continue the season. OperaWire, reporting the orchestra's own announcement, said revenues rose by more than 50 percent between fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2026, but essential costs rose too, most endowment gifts cannot be spent on day to day operations, and contributions for the current year fell short. The orchestra said it had cut administrative costs by about 766,000 dollars and would use the suspension to review its obligations and publish a financial recovery plan.

Board chairman Mo Stein called the suspension the most difficult decision the board has faced and said continuing without cash for immediate obligations would put the institution at greater risk. The symphony calls the season suspended rather than canceled and wants to return as soon as it can, although it does not know when or whether performances will resume.

The final scheduled performance is the November 1 concert built around "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl." The musicians are asking for a seat at the table before that date: the records, the campaign and reserve numbers, and a shared plan for a return.