Post by Slinger on May 3, 2018 13:08:06 GMT
44 per cent of UK orchestral musicians say they don’t earn enough to live on.
A new piece of research reveals the future of UK orchestral music is at risk, due to decades of budget cuts. The research, carried out by the Musicians’ Union, found nearly half of the musicians in UK orchestras say they don’t earn enough to live on. According to the study, two thirds (66 per cent) of musicians with up to 30 years’ experience are considering abandoning orchestras and have thought about other careers. Two-fifths (43 per cent) of musicians said they'd taken on unpaid work in the last 12 months to gain experience.
Horace Trubridge, General Secretary of the Musicians’ Union, said: “Funding cuts mean orchestras present less of a viable career option for many professional musicians than they once did. In real terms, many musicians are paid the same as they were 30 years ago.
Typically, orchestral musicians invest around £80,000 in their training and, after qualifying, earn around £21,000 in full-time employment.
Currently, 97 per cent of orchestras are involved in community outreach programmes, helping other sectors which are struggling with their own budget cuts. Over half of these orchestras carry out work in care homes and hospices.
Much more HERE
I have no idea what the solution is, I only know that it's a very sad state of affairs.
US orchestras have a remarkable system in operation in which they are funded almost completely by private money but are represented by some extraordinarily resilient unions, meaning that if rehearsals run over the clock, the orchestra will simply stop playing (members of the New York Phil did precisely that to Bernstein, as Glenn Dicterow, who spent 34 years as the leader of the New York Philharmonic remembers; Claudio Abbado complained about the same phenomenon). When the Detroit Symphony were on strike a few years ago because their salary and conditions were going to be cut to under the $100,000 (£58,000) mark, it was hard to feel totally sympathetic for these players still on secure contracts and salaries that would make most British orchestral musicians weep with jealousy.
SOURCE
A new piece of research reveals the future of UK orchestral music is at risk, due to decades of budget cuts. The research, carried out by the Musicians’ Union, found nearly half of the musicians in UK orchestras say they don’t earn enough to live on. According to the study, two thirds (66 per cent) of musicians with up to 30 years’ experience are considering abandoning orchestras and have thought about other careers. Two-fifths (43 per cent) of musicians said they'd taken on unpaid work in the last 12 months to gain experience.
Horace Trubridge, General Secretary of the Musicians’ Union, said: “Funding cuts mean orchestras present less of a viable career option for many professional musicians than they once did. In real terms, many musicians are paid the same as they were 30 years ago.
Typically, orchestral musicians invest around £80,000 in their training and, after qualifying, earn around £21,000 in full-time employment.
Currently, 97 per cent of orchestras are involved in community outreach programmes, helping other sectors which are struggling with their own budget cuts. Over half of these orchestras carry out work in care homes and hospices.
Much more HERE
I have no idea what the solution is, I only know that it's a very sad state of affairs.
US orchestras have a remarkable system in operation in which they are funded almost completely by private money but are represented by some extraordinarily resilient unions, meaning that if rehearsals run over the clock, the orchestra will simply stop playing (members of the New York Phil did precisely that to Bernstein, as Glenn Dicterow, who spent 34 years as the leader of the New York Philharmonic remembers; Claudio Abbado complained about the same phenomenon). When the Detroit Symphony were on strike a few years ago because their salary and conditions were going to be cut to under the $100,000 (£58,000) mark, it was hard to feel totally sympathetic for these players still on secure contracts and salaries that would make most British orchestral musicians weep with jealousy.
SOURCE
