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About Us In the Community Concertgoer's Guide |
| Our History : Historical Timeline, Our Successes, Fact Sheet |
| Historical Timeline Knowing our history is important to understanding our point of view! |
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| 1961 |
1961 Carolyn Hopkins, Karl Kritz and Benson Snyder have a vision for the seventh reincarnation of a Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, which is accomplished in part with a grant from the Gifford Foundation |
| 1961-62 |
Concerts are performed in Lincoln High School Auditorium. There are four subscription, eight young peoples concerts, and one pops concert -- all performed to sold out crowds. |
| 1966 |
A Ford Foundation Challenge Grant helps to provide the means to bring that 1961 vision to reality, beginning with a 36 piece core orchestra and eventually supplemented by 34 additional musicians for Classics concerts |
| 1969 |
In December, Karl Kritz suffers a fatal heart attack during a Classics concert. |
| 1970 |
The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra season is compressed into 30 weeks to enable the orchestra to attract musicians nationally, for what was at this time a fairly typical concert season. |
| 1971 |
Frederik Prausnitz is selected to replace Karl Kritz. |
| In the preceeding several years each season is longer than the last, with annual wage increases appropriate to an orchestra that has adopted a philosophy of growth. | |
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1971 |
Syracuse Symphony Orchestra applies for, and is accepted into membership in the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) |
1973
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A new four year agreement is approved by the management and musicians which continues the rapid pace of season and wage improvements. |
1975
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Christopher Keene is selected to replace Frederick Prausnitz, and soon after, the orchestra moves to its new home in the Crouse-Hinds Concert Theater. |
| 1976 |
The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra meets all of the criteria to be designated a major orchestra by the American Symphony Orchestra League. |
| 1977 |
A new four year contract is agreed to in 1977, expanding the season to 42 weeks with 62 core orchestra and 20 expanded orchestra musicians on staff. A summer season is added in 1977, and a pension plan is agreed upon that will become available to retirees beginning in 1980. |
| 1978 |
On April 10th, the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra performs its first concert in Carnegie Hall |
| 1980 |
The orchestra returns to Carnegie Hall for a second time on March 22nd |
| 1980 |
Problems emerge early in the year. The musicians decline a request to give up some of their recent gains including the pension and summer season. |
| 1981-83 |
The musicians continue to perform under the provisions of the 1980-81 contract for two years, one of which includes a two day strike. |
| 1982 |
On March 15th, the orchestra returns again to Carnegie Hall for a third appearance. |
| 1983 |
The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra board president finally signs the papers on the pension that had been agreed to in 1977. |
| 1983 |
The management's insistence on further cuts in its' final contract offer results in a 13 week strike by the musicians. During that period the board commits to raising 10 million dollars for the endowment. This commitment allows for new fiscal projections, and ultimately a settlement to be reached which focuses on growth in wages, season length (44 weeks), and core musicians (66 musicians). |
| 1985 |
Kazuyoshi Akiyama becomes music director |
| 1987 |
A two year contract is ratified by the musicians (the shortest agreement since 1965). The agreement allows for a 44 week season, and one additional core musician (67). |
| 1988 |
Under Akiyama, the orchestra returns to Carnegie Hall for the fourth time on March 13th. |
| 1989 |
A three year agreement follows in 1989, but in 1991 the symphony management again asks the orchestra musicians to re-negotiate the final year of their agreement (1991-92). The musicians initially decline, but in February, 1992 offer to accept the proposed salary and season cuts temporarily, as part of a recovery plan, which would have restored the cuts over the next contract term. The management response several days later is to shut down SSO operations indefinitely |
| 1992 |
The musicians are unemployed for seven months and do not return to work until October, under the terms of a two year agreement in which the season is cut by 20% to 35 weeks, and then increased to 36 weeks in 1993-94 |
| 1992 |
Fabio Mechetti becomes music director, and Kazuyoshi Akiyama is named Conductor Emeritus. |
| 1994 |
The musicians agree to a four year agreement, and weeks 37 and 38 are restored by 1997-98 |
| 1998 |
The 1998-99 season begins with a brief strike in response to our management's insistence on further cutbacks to the length of the season and an attempt to fit the previous season's work into fewer paid working weeks. Eventually a settlement is reached in which the length of the season remains at 38 weeks for three years. |
| 1999 |
Daniel Hege becomes music director |
| 1999 |
Governor George Pataki presents the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra with the Governor's Arts Award |
| 2000 |
The orchestra releases its first new recording in many years -- consisting of live recordings from Classics concerts |
| 2000 |
The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra announces that it has balanced the budget for a second consecutive year. |
| 2001 |
In 2001, a five year contract (the longest in SSO history) is accepted by the orchestra musicians. The agreement restores one week that was lost in 1992 (the 39th week is restored). The board commits to raising 6 million dollars to augment the current 4 million dollar endowment and creates the Syracuse Symphony Foundation -- a separate entity to manage the endowment funds. |
| 2001 |
The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra announces that it has balanced the budget for a third consecutive year. |
| 2002 |
The orchestra releases its second new recording. It features the holiday music of Calvin Custer. |
| 2002 |
Senator Nancy Larraine Hoffman pays the orchestra a surprise visit and presents a $100,000 check to increase the musicians' pension fund. |
| 2002 |
The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra announces that it has balanced the budget for a fourth consecutive year. |
| 2003 |
The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra announces that it has balanced the budget for a fifth consecutive year. |
| 2003 |
The orchestra plays at Carnegie Hall for the fifth time in 25 years on April 5th. |
| 2004 |
The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra announces that it has balanced the budget for a sixth consecutive year. |
| 2005 |
In December, the orchestra management finally agrees to use the money Senator Hoffman provided in 2003 to increase the musicians pension by 10%. |
| 2005 |
The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra announces it has balanced the budget for a seventh consecutive year. |
| 2006 |
The orchestra releases its third new recording. It features many of the big band arrangements of Calvin Custer. |
| 2006 |
The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra announces it has balanced the budget for the eighth consecutive year. |
| 2006 |
With the assistance of a federal mediator, the orchestra musicians reluctantly agree to a three year contract which includes a commitment by the orchestra management to improve the musicians pension. |
| 2006 |
A joint committee is formed under the oversight of the Syracuse office of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to investigate the best way to improve the musicians pension. |
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