The Carnegie Hall opening night concert was cancelled on Wednesday.
After struggling with high stage crew costs, a strike broke out that forced the administration to cancel its gala performance. According to the New York Times, the issues broke out "when the hall's management drew a line in the sand during recent contract negotiations, denying the union's request to have full jurisdiction over Carnegie's new education wing. The union struck on Wednesday."
The strike became the first in Carnegie Hall's history. Clive Gillinson, executive and artistic director of the hall, released a statement saying, "We are disappointed that, despite the fact that the stagehands have one of the most lucrative contracts in the industry, they are now seeking to expand their jurisdiction beyond the concert hall and into the new education wing in ways that would compromise Carnegie Hall's education mission. There is no precedent for this anywhere in New York City."
The gala was to have included the Philadelphia Orchestra playing works by Tchaikovsky, Tiomkin and Ravel. Joshua Bell and Esperanza Spalding were also scheduled to perform with Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducting.
The strike capped a week filled with hardships for the Classical Music industry. While this time of the year is usually filled with celebration with opening night galas and high society parties, many of these celebrations have been plagued by protests and strikes. The Metropolitan Opera season opened with a protest against the company for not dedicating the performance to the LGBT community in Russia. The New York City Opera recently closed its doors after filing for bankruptcy and the Minnesota Orchestra's Music Director Osmo Vanska was forced to resign.
The Carengie Hall Opening Night gala will not be rescheduled and people who bought tickets with credit cards will receive automatic refunds. The administration has yet to announce any other cancellations.
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