Strings appear to be stirring again as San Francisco Symphony, union reach tentative deal

SAN FRANCISCO – The sound of silence from the San Francisco Symphony appeared to be coming to an end as a tentative agreement was reached Sunday to end a 2 1/2-week strike.

The symphony announced in a statement that its negotiators and leaders of the musicians’ union have agreed to terms on a 26-month contract, subject to the approval of the full orchestra and the symphony’s Board of Governors. No details on the terms would be released before the contract was ratified, the symphony statement said.

Symphony leaders are planning for musicians to return to the stage at Davies Symphony Hall for a series of performances for schoolchildren starting Tuesday, and Thursday and Friday night concerts featuring performances of pieces by Handel and Mozart are back on the schedule, the statement said.

An East Coast tour that included stops at Carnegie Hall in New York and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. had to be cancelled during the strike.

The musicians’ contract expired in February, and the walkout began March 13, after a long dispute with management over the symphony’s finances. The musicians sought a greater stake in decision making and more transparency in the symphony’s accounting.

Union representatives could not immediately be reached for comment Sunday.

The strike’s resolution came much faster than the symphony’s last labour stoppage, which led to the cancellation of 43 concerts in 1996 and 1997.