MARGARET MEAD AT THE SYMPHONY

posted by James Reel

    British journalist Jessica Duchen has posted at her blog an interesting article about the real lives of orchestra musicians. Their lot can be tough, but they’re hardly toiling in a Dickensian poor house. Of course, Duchen’s article draws upon interviews with members of leading British orchestras, but much of what she reports is true for American players as well (although they rarely get film-score gigs here—unionized American orchestras are too expensive).
    Where Duchen talks about salaries, bear in mind that one British pound is worth about $1.75. Compare the salary figures for the top London orchestras to those in the Tucson Symphony, where, according to a musician I was talking to not long ago, rank-and-file contract players make less than $15,000 a year.