New Orchestra Contract Expected This Weekend

TAMPA - The relevance of the nation's symphony orchestras is a topic of much debate in arts communities, and one such discussion took place Friday in the offices of The Florida Orchestra.

The area's largest performing arts group is at a crossroads: Make itself more relevant to the Tampa Bay area, or die. At issue are the increasing costs of running the orchestra in three communities - Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater - against the tide of dwindling income.

So this weekend, the orchestra is doing something about it. Management and musicians are expected to agree on a new contract intended to help secure their future. In addition, the orchestra has slashed $600,000 of an expected $1.3 million from its overall budget.

The cuts meant eliminating five administrative positions, including Greg Musselman, who served as director of public relations for more than a decade. Details on the new contract will be released next week.

Trimming from the inside means keeping the product - live performances of masterworks and pops programs - intact, said Michael Pastreich, the orchestra's president.

"As we make these very tough decisions, it's deeply important that our level of services to the Bay area isn't compromised," he said Friday. "We have to demonstrate to the community that we are a valuable organization."

The orchestra has remained committed to artistic excellence despite slumping numbers. The group posted a $676,000 shortfall in its budget two seasons ago, and last fiscal year finished $423,000 in the red.

This meant a new musicians contract, expected to be signed in August, went unsigned. Since the current season began in late September, the musicians have performed on a "pay and play" basis. The players need the security of a new, long-term contract, said Harold van Schaik, a trombonist and spokesman for the musicians committee.

"Key to this agreement is the concept of trust," he said. "There are certain themes we've heard before that have never been lived up to. I get a different feeling this time."