After announcing that it would not pay soloists’ fees, the Met announced that it was suspending the salaries of orchestral musicians, choir members and technicians. In addition, the lyric house cancels the end of its season and faces a loss of $ 60 million.
The Metropolitan Opera in New York may be the most important performing arts institution in the United States, yet it seems to be one of the most fragile. In this context of theaters being closed due to the coronavirus epidemic, the lyric house has decided to cancel the end of its season in an attempt to deal with a shortfall of $ 60 million (approximately 56 million euros ).
And to do this, Peter Gelb, the director of the Met, has decided to suspend the salaries of artistic staff at his institution. Musicians of the orchestra, singers of the choir and technicians will not receive their pay for the month of March but will keep their mutual health insurance.
“We are doing the best we can in this difficult situation,” said Peter Gelb. The American Guild of Musical Artists, the national union of lyric singers in the USA, reacted by “grateful that this was a time never seen“and appreciating that the Met”keeps the mutual health insurance for its permanent employees“but deploring”a devastating psychological and financial situation for our artists“.
“We are disappointed, we are angry but we understand“the union added. For his part, Peter Gelb, the director, announced that he was giving up his salary until the situation returned to normal. Administrative staff will lose up to 50% of their salary for those exceeding $ 125,000 annually.
Peter Gelb said it was a “temporary emergency“and that he strongly believed in the ability of the Met to”bounce“.