Re: Re: Re: A nice symphony story


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Posted by Two for one? on May 29, 2001 at 10:31:00:

In Reply to: Re: Re: A nice symphony story posted by Rick Denney on May 29, 2001 at 07:51:25:

Rick, I agree with much of what you say above, but I think your logic of "two young players for the price of one old one" is flawed from a contractual standpoint. Minimum salary for a principal player in the Richmond Symphony for this season is just under $32,000. Add to that a seniority pay of $1 a week for each year of service (this info was not available on the AFM website, but I know that the Buffalo Phil pays this amount, so I'll use that figure for the purpose of my calculations) and a principal wind player with 30 years of service in this orchestra would be making around $33,350 a year. It's highly unlikely that players in this level of orchestra (ROPA, rather than ICSOM)are able to negotiate significantly higher than scale salaries as they are in major symphony orchestras. So, you definitely would not be able to replace one "seasoned" player with two young players. They would be making close to the same money. I think it's good to be able to "buy out" players who are not cutting it anymore, but with a financial gift such as this, I think it could be too easy for older players still doing a fine job to be browbeaten into retirement so that they could be replaced by a younger face that can play a little "higher and faster".


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