Kennedy Center's opening gala is back on after musicians strike ends with a new deal

https://apnews.com/article/national-symphony-orchestra-strike-9c9b25c9e6922cd5180f4b6b9efd4634

Updated 3:21 PM CDT, September 27, 2024

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Kennedy Center and the union representing musicians in the National Symphony Orchestra have come to an agreement on a short-term contract after a brief strike that threatened to derail Saturday’s season-opening gala.

The DC Federation of Musicians, local 161-710 of the American Federation of Musicians, went on strike Friday following the Sept. 2 expiration of its collective bargaining agreement, forcing the Kennedy Center to announce the cancellation of its gala. But within hours, the Kennedy Center announced that an 18-month labor agreement had been agreed upon, and Saturday’s concert and the rest of the 2024-25 season will proceed as scheduled.

The short-term contract “will provide all parties time to come together to settle a longer-term agreement that demonstrates our respect for their artistic contributions and maintains the orchestra’s competitiveness in the field,” the Kennedy Center said in a statement.

The NSO season at the Kennedy Center kicks off Saturday night with music director Gianandrea Noseda conducting a program that includes pianist Yunchan Lim. The previous deal originally was a four-year contract through the 2022-23 season, but was extended by one year during the pandemic.