Support The Striking AGMA Choristers of the San Francisco Symphony

Support The Striking AGMA CHORISTERS OF THE SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY

By Lynda Carson - September 23, 2024

San Francisco - As of September 19, the struggling AGMA Choristers of the San Francisco Symphony are on strike after experiencing the abuse of months of Symphony management proposing some brutal, drastic, and unfair cuts to the Chorus, resulting in the canceling of the three-day run of Verdi’s Requiem, the season opener.

Images of the striking Choristers may bee seen by clicking here… https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2024/09/21/18869409.php .

Often the musicians with the San Francisco Symphony, are also members or intertwined with the members of the Oakland Symphony, and other local symphonies, or musical groups in the Bay Area.

Among the Board of Governors for the SFS, wealthy Matt Cohler of Benchmark is the vice president of the SFS, and a rabid Democratic campaign contributor https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Matt+Cohler .

Trine Sorensen a member of the Board of Governors, from Palo Alto, is also a Democrat campaign contributor https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Trine+Sorensen https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Trine+Sorensen .

And the treasurer of SFS, F. Curt Kirschner, is also a wealthy Democrat campaign contributor https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=F.+Curt+Kirschner .

Reportedly, ““The proposed drastic budget cuts would result in the loss of union jobs—jobs that are vital to maintaining the artistic excellence of the Chorus and the symphony as a whole. The AGMA Board of Governors and Artists around the country stand fully behind the Chorus as they fight not only for their livelihoods, but for the future of the performing arts in the Bay Area,” he continued.

Currently, San Francisco Symphony Management is:

• Proposing to cut AGMA Choristers' annual compensation by 65%;

• Proposing to reduce choral programs from 8-11 per season to 5 programs guaranteed per year;

• Refusing to demonstrate that these cuts will be shared equitably across the Company, and failing to demonstrate that targeting SFS’s nationally and internationally acclaimed Artists will make a difference with their alleged financial situation.”

More strike information may be found by clicking here https://www.musicalartists.org/agma-choristers-of-san-francisco-symphony-chorus-and-agma-leadership-overwhelmingly-approve-strike-authorization/ .

According to public records, the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) has been a tax exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization since January of 1955.

Additionally, according to their mission statement, the SFS wants, “TO INSPIRE AND SERVE AUDIENCES AND COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE BAY AREA (CONTINUED ON SCH O) AND THE WORLD THROUGH THE POWER OF MUSICAL PERFORMANCE.”

“THROUGH ITS ARTISTIC, EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, THE SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY SERVES MORE THAN 400,000 BAY AREA RESIDENTS AND VISITORS OF EVERY ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND IN OVER 220 CONCERTS FROM SEPTEMBER THROUGH AUGUST 2022.THE SYMPHONY ADDITIONALLY REACHES MILLIONS OF OTHERS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES AND ABROAD THROUGH TOURING, RECORDING, DIGITAL PERFORMANCE, AND RADIO AND TELEVISION BROADCASTS. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)THE GRAMMY AWARD WINNING SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY IS REGARDED INTERNATIONALLY AS ONE OF THE FOREMOST AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS. UNDER MUSIC DIRECTOR ESA-PEKKA SALONEN, THE SYMPHONY OFFERS EXCITING CLASSICAL PROGRAMS WITH INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED GUEST ARTISTS IN ITS 100+ CONCERT SUBSCRIPTION SERIES.”

“IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE MUSIC EDUCATION TO EVERY STUDENT IN GRADES 1-5 IN SAN FRANCISCO'S PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THROUGH ADVENTURES IN MUSIC, AND SUPPORTS EVERY PUBLIC MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL BAND AND ORCHESTRA PROGRAM THROUGH MUSIC AND MENTORS.”

Based on their latest 990 tax filing that was filed as recent as July 15, 2024, during 2023, SFS had a revenue of $71,106,401. After subtracting their liabilities from their assets, the SFS had net assets of $375,650,804, around a third of a billion dollars.

Apparently, with net assets of $375,650,804, the SFS does not appear to be experiencing any sort of poverty or cash flow problems that would warrant any brutal, drastic, and or unfair cuts to the Chorus, according the public records.

Additionally, during the pandemic, the SFS raked in almost $10,000,000 in free PPI loans that were forgiven.

The SFS appears to be a money making machine, to entertain the rich and famous in San Francisco, and the Bay Area.

Indeed, during 2023, Alexander Barantschik (Concertmaster), raked in a whopping $507,943 in compensation, plus $57,624 in other compensation. And Matthew Spivey (Chief Executive Officer) raked in $453,648 in compensation, plus $32,603 in other compensation.

If they want to make cuts to the AGMA Choristers of the San Francisco Symphony in a scheme to raise their own compensation, the strikers need the public’s support in the strike to fight back against the management of the SFS. The rents are too damn high in San Francisco to be facing budget cuts at this point in time, and if the convicted felon Donald J. Trump gets back into office soon after the November 5 election vote, he plans to cut all federal funding for the arts, including the SFS, real fast.

According to the San Francisco Classical Voice - https://www.sfcv.org/articles/music-news/sf-symphony-chorus-strike-opening-night-canceled# :

In part it states; Updated Sept. 19: “The San Francisco Symphony announced at 5 p.m. today that due to a strike called by the SF Symphony Chorus’s union members, represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists, the Sept. 19–21 performances of Verdi’s Requiem have been canceled and will not be rescheduled.

Published Sept. 17:

Opening nights at large musical organizations are vital events for income, audience-building, publicity, and prestige. Two of San Francisco’s major institutions — the San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Opera — are seeing what happens when the season gets off to a rocky start.

Just 10 days after the SF Opera Orchestra received some (still-unknown) concessions from management so that the musicians would play on opening night, the SF Symphony — with contract negotiation problems of its own — has found itself in a similar situation.
The musical crown jewel of the SF Symphony’s first classical concerts of the 2024–2025 season, Sept. 19–21, is Verdi’s Requiem, a majestic work for orchestra and chorus. On the afternoon of Sept. 16, all 32 professional singers of the SF Symphony Chorus voted to strike. Additionally, there are about 120 unpaid volunteer choristers who have no union representation.
The professional singers’ union, the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), authorized the strike and said that “81.1 percent of the unpaid singers from the Verdi Requiem chorus have pledged to honor an AGMA picket line.” (See AGMA’s full statement below.)”

AGMA Choristers of the San Francisco Symphony:

“One of America’s most distinguished choruses, the 152-member San Francisco Symphony Chorus, celebrates its 50th anniversary during the 2023–24 season. In September 2023, Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen and the San Francisco Symphony announced Jenny Wong as the San Francisco Symphony Chorus’s next Director.
 
Known for its precision, power, and versatility, the SF Symphony Chorus performs more than 26 concerts each season and is comprised of 32 professional and 120 non-professional members. San Francisco Chronicle classical music critic Joshua Kosman has praised the Chorus for its “tonal beauty” and “customary vibrancy and ardor.”
 
Most recently, the Chorus can be heard on the San Francisco Symphony’s recording of György Ligeti’s Lux Aeterna with Esa-Pekka Salonen, released as a digital-only audio-visual performance in January 2022, and later with Apple Music Classical when the app launched in March 2023. The Chorus was also featured in the SFS Media recording of Charles Ives’ Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4 along with Music Director Laureate Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony, released in November 2019.

Established in 1973 at the request of then-music director Seiji Ozawa, the SF Symphony Chorus has sung under the world’s major conductors, including SF Symphony music directors Esa-Pekka Salonen, Michael Tilson Thomas, Herbert Blomstedt, Edo de Waart, and Seiji Ozawa; as well as guest conductors including Vladimir Ashkenazy, James Conlon, Valery Gergiev, Sir Neville Marriner, Kurt Masur, Sir Roger Norrington, David Robertson, Robert Shaw, and Yuri Temirkanov, among others. Louis Magor served as the Chorus’s director during its first decade, and in 1982 Margaret Hillis assumed the ensemble’s leadership as interim director. The following year Vance George was named director, serving through the 2005–06 season. Ragnar Bohlin served as chorus director from March 2007–August 2021.” 

More about the Choristers is available by clicking here; https://www.sfsymphony.org/About-SFS/SFS-Chorus

Like the former striking members of SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, the SFS Choristers need your support during their strike.

In support of SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike

By Lynda Carson
Tuesday, Aug 1, 2023

Click below for the full story…

https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2023/08/01/18857958.php?show_comments=1

More rare images of Rob Nilsson & Tenderloin Action Group/Tenderloin yGroup

(3 more older photos of myself near the top)

https://www.indybay.org/uploads/2023/08/22/lynda.1._pics.pdf


Lynda Carson is a local musician https://kalx.berkeley.edu/lynda-carson-interview/ , activist, and lover of music https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U7vuJ02ljyb0kIj9KH2rtWj9tzTMfJxv/view …


-Lynda Carson may be reached at newzland2 [at] gmail.com

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