Orchestra board expected to approve 5-year contract

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor

The musicians of the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra have tentatively agreed on an unprecedented five-year contract with the Honolulu Symphony Society that will give them a pay raise.

The size of that raise is being kept under wraps pending ratification by the orchestra's board in another week or so, said Michael Largarticha, president of the Musicians Association of Hawai'i, Local 677. "We can't reveal specific terms till the board also ratifies," Largarticha said. "But it's the first time the orchestra has a five-year contract. It's usually between two or three years."

He called the pact "a tremendous step forward."

The agreement, reached Jan. 31 and already approved by the musicians, adds a harmonic note to the orchestra's growth. The board is expected to ratify the pact, which will avoid labor difficulties that dogged the orchestra during the 1990s.

The settlement also increases the financial stability of the orchestra organization, which succeed in raising $1 million last year to match a $1 million anonymous grant and wipe out a deficit.

"The agreement ensures that the Honolulu Symphony will play a vital cultural role in the community for years to come," said Stephen Bloom, executive director. "I personally would like to thank the musicians for the amicable and respectful tone of these negotiations.

"This is truly a commitment by all sides to provide artistic and financial stability for the future," said Jim Moffitt, head of the musicians' negotiating committee. "We are very pleased that as musicians, we can now concentrate on doing what we do best — performing great music at the highest possible level for all the people of Hawai'i."