Wichita Symphony Orchestra and Musicians Agree on New Contract

The musicians’ pay and working conditions have been enhanced in a new deal with their management

Established in Kansas in 1944, the Wichita Symphony Orchestra has recently come to an agreement with its musicians to increase their salaries, among other deals. 

In all, 45 members of the Wichita Musicians’ Association, local union No. 297 of the American Federation of Musicians, unanimously approved the contract, which will run through June 2028 and cover around 80 orchestra musicians. 

The new contract stipulates structured wage increases over three years, improved rehearsal pay policies, musician protections, and refined language around artistic evaluations, among other conditions. 

A major adjustment in the contract from previous years is the change of the hourly pay to a flat service rate for all musicians participating in rehearsals. 

The goal when entering negotiations was to “make the Wichita Symphony an attractive place for musicians to work,” said Brent Mead, principal trombone and chair of the orchestra committee. “This new agreement supports our artistic and professional goals while strengthening our partnership with Symphony management.”

“We are incredibly pleased with this outcome, which will further enhance our orchestra’s artistic quality and provide important stability for the years ahead,” the orchestra’s executive director, Tim Storhoff, expressed. 

“We greatly value our musicians and are excited to continue our tradition of providing exceptional music to the Wichita community,” added Ebony Clemons, chair of the Wichita Symphony Society board of directors.