Players at the financially troubled Philadelphia Orchestra have agreed pay concessions that should help stabilise the organisation’s finances for the coming months. The players have agreed to waive a salary increase negotiated last May and an increase in pension fund contributions. They have also accepted a management proposal to halt the hiring of new rank and file players.

Like many American ensembles, the Philadelphia Orchestra has been hit hard by the recession, which has led to a dramatic reduction in private giving. Pay concessions from the players may help the management when renegotiating donations and endowments through the public display of unity.

The official minimum musician’s salary at the Philadelphia Orchestra is $124,800 (although all earn more than this), making it the sixth highest paid orchestra in America. By foregoing the pay increase, they will drop to seventh place.

Along with the expensive payroll, other recent financial strains for the orchestra have included the building of a new concert hall, long running problems hiring a musical director, and a widely derided and ineffective advertising campaign with the slogan “Unexpect Yourself”.