Cleveland Orchestra Musicians May Strike This Year

Cleveland Orchestra musicians are prepared to put down their instruments.

Unionized members last week announced on the steps of Severance Hall that they recently authorized a strike, a possibility if orchestra officials meet them on their requests. The current contract expires September 23, six days before a month-long tour of Europe.

As detailed on Thursday by violinist Elayna Duitman, orchestra members are demanding pay increases that match years of inflation and come closer to salaries of peer musicians in the other Big Five orchestras—New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago.

“We’re not asking to be in the middle of the Big Five, just that we keep in line with them. We’ve been at the bottom of the pack for such a long, long time,” Duitman told Scene. “[We] want to be more in line with the second tier of orchestras.”

Orchestra members make roughly $163,000 for the 2025-2026 season, a salary that’s about $27,000 lower than their average peer in the Big Five. New York’s musicians top the list this year, at $205,000.

It’s unclear exactly how long ticket holders would be impacted if the orchestra members do hang up their bows. There are roughly three dozen concerts left remaining on their calendar. Eight seats on the orchestra are currently open, mostly string positions.

In addition to salary concerns, members are asking more attention to health care and issues, Duitman said. Similar issues were tossed about the last time the orchestra went on strike, for two days in 2010. Duitman said members also want more creative say in the year’s schedule.

“We want to at least take a vote and have that count for something in the audition process,” she said. “Our management so far has said no.”

A no-strike clause precludes the group from action before the 23rd. All concerts would be canceled during a strike.

Orchestra officials have told members they can’t raise enough money to justify a pay raise, Duitman told Scene. The current endowment, meanwhile, stands at $360 million.

“We continue to negotiate in good faith as evidenced by the extension through September 23 agreed by both sides on September 2,” an orchestra spokesperson said in a statement. “We do not comment on ongoing negotiations, and we do not negotiate in the media.”

“We want to stay playing,” Duitman said. “We just want the Cleveland Orchestra to be the quality orchestra it is. And stay that way.”