Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Local 171 Announce Two-year Labor Agreement

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and Local 171 of the American Federation of Musicians jointly announced they have reached a new two-year collective bargaining agreement. The new contract starts in the upcoming 2025-26 season and extends through the 2026-27 season.

The new agreement contains a minimum of eight symphonic concerts and an education concert for the upcoming two concert seasons. The agreement also includes the addition of a second musician seat on the SSO board, which will expand from 15 to 17 seats, and wage increases for musicians over each of the two years. The agreement also calls for an average of 64 contracted musicians, remaining the same from the previous two-year agreement.

This new agreement gives the Springfield Symphony Orchestra greater flexibility to design seasons that both honor tradition and embrace innovation. Starting with the 2025-26 season, the SSO will present a minimum of four classical concerts each year, down from six in previous seasons. This change allows room to explore new formats and creative programming. In addition, the season will feature two pops concerts and two hybrid performances that blend classical repertoire with popular music to engage broader and more diverse audiences.

“We are so pleased to make this announcement about a new two-year agreement that builds upon the shared goal, between management and the SSO musicians, of sustaining and advancing our Springfield Symphony Orchestra,” said Paul Lambert, president and CEO of the SSO.

“With so much distressing news out there around the arts, this is a dose of much-needed good news for the SSO and for our region,” he added. “The new collective bargaining agreement joins musicians, staff, and our board in the collective enterprise of putting together the best symphonic concert seasons over the next two years. With this agreement, we are entering a new age of cooperation and collaboration with our incredible musicians, and our region and the arts are big winners.”

According to Beth Welty, president of Local 171, “the musicians’ negotiating committee feels that this is a very positive step. We look forward to continuing to work with Paul Lambert, the staff, and the board toward the goal of expanding the orchestra’s outreach and service to all of Western Massachusetts.”

Added Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, “I want to thank our wonderful Springfield Symphony Orchestra and the talented musicians for their efforts in working together on this new two-year deal. Thanks to the work from President and CEO Paul Lambert and his incredible team, and the leadership from the Local 171 of the musicians union, our beautiful symphony, which is a world-class venue and organization, will continue to provide and display an amazing collection of musical talent at every event and show. The proud tradition of our Springfield Symphony Orchestra will continue to light up our historic and majestic Symphony Hall with music for all to enjoy. Congratulations again to all involved, and I am looking forward to enjoying more of their shows in the future.”

In the past two seasons, the SSO has made efforts to diversify its musical offerings and brought talent from around the world in the form of both guest conductors and guest artists to Springfield Symphony Hall. The concert seasons have featured Latin jazz ensemble the Mambo Kings, Bugs Bunny at the Symphony, annual MLK Jr. celebration concerts, Fearless Women Awards honoring local women leaders in the community, Juneteenth concerts at no cost to the community, and more.

In the 2024-25 season, internationally acclaimed conductor Mei-Ann Chen joined the SSO as artistic advisor, helping to curate programs, select guest soloists, and facilitate other artistic needs.