ACO Labor Issues Resolved; Glass Premiere To Go Ahead As Scheduled

ACO Labor Issues Resolved; Glass Premiere To Go Ahead As Scheduled

Last minute contract talks between the American Composers Orchestra and the American Federation of Musicians Local 802.

Written By

Molly Sheridan

It’s a labor and management story that looks like it’s going to have a happy ending. Last minute contract talks between the American Composers Orchestra and the American Federation of Musicians Local 802 (the union which represents the players), yesterday threatened the orchestra’s planned weekend celebration of composer Philip Glass‘ 65th birthday and the premiere of his Symphony No. 6, but as of this morning the musicians were on stage rehearsing for the Sunday concert.

The ACO reports that last night a memorandum of agreement was signed with the Local 802 covering wages and conditions of employment through September 2004. The Local 802’s Heather Beaudoin confirmed, “We do have a contract and we are satisfied with that contact.” However, the agreement has yet to be ratified by the orchestra membership.

The ACO’s last contract with its musicians expired in December 2001.

“Needless to say, we are all delighted to have reached a settlement,” said Michael Geller, the ACO’s executive director. “The musicians of ACO are some of the finest in the world. The board, artistic and administrative staff are extremely grateful for their talent, dedication, and hard work on behalf of American composers and their music.”

The ACO will perform the world premiere of Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 6, “Plutonian Ode,” with soprano Lauren Flanigan on Sunday, February 3 at 3pm at Carnegie Hall. The work features text by Allen Ginsberg. Also on that program is the Philip Glass/Ravi Shankar collaborative composition “Passages.” Dennis Russell Davies will conduct.

The ACO, currently celebrating its 25th anniversary, is next scheduled to perform works by Stewart Wallace and Erich Korngold on March 10. The 2001-02 season will conclude on April 14, 2002, with a program featuring world premieres by Kevin Puts and ACO founder Francis Thorne in addition to works by John Cage and Elliott Carter. The program will be Dennis Russell Davies final concert as Music Director of the ACO.