Philadelphia Orchestra riven by dissonance | Morning Newsletter
A fan takes solace in the Phillies.
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You may need your umbrella this morning, but the rest of the day will gradually become sunny with a high near 60.
Philadelphia Orchestra players and management are adversaries in talks over a new labor contract. Our main story looks backstage at a deal in jeopardy.
— Paola Pérez (@pdesiperez, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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The Philadelphia Orchestra, adored for its trademark homogenous sound, is riven by dissonance as new contract talks stretch into overtime.
The two sides have made progress on noneconomic issues, but gaps remain on pay and retirement contributions.
What orchestra members are saying: They don’t want to strike, but may have to do so in the name of maintaining the orchestra’s ability to attract top talent by being among the top-paid in the country.
What management is saying: It must balance its offer to players with its own financial challenges. Ticket sales are soft, and the Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center, Inc. (POKC) has fallen $4 million short of its goal in philanthropy.
This is big because fundraising efficiency was sold as a major benefit of the 2021 merger of the orchestra and Kimmel. And with the Kimmel merger, the Philadelphia Orchestra has become only one part in a larger enterprise and less at the center of why the organization exists.
Players have let some leverage slip by as they’ve continued to play without a contract for more than a month now. But if they struck, the musicians’ union could urge members of other unions not to cross the picket line into any Kimmel facility. This might mean no Broadway shows — a critical source of income for POKC.
Keep reading for a closer look at the risks involved as negotiations continue.
What you should know today
A police officer injured in a shooting that killed his partner at a Philadelphia International Airport parking garage Thursday night was released from the hospital Saturday.
Charter-school magnate Vahan H. Gureghian resigns as Penn trustee, accusing leadership of embracing “antisemitism.”
President Joe Biden visited Philadelphia on Friday to announce that the region will receive $750 million in federal funding to build a hydrogen energy network.
Palestinians struggled Saturday to flee from areas of Gaza targeted by the Israeli military while grappling with a growing water and medical supply shortage ahead of an expected land offensive a week after Hamas’ bloody, wide-ranging attack into Israel.
The William Way LGBT Community Center has canceled a planned tribute event for slain Philadelphia journalist Josh Kruger, citing “the allegations that have recently surfaced.” The cancellation of the event came after The Inquirer published a story detailing assertions from the family of Robert Davis, 19, who is accused of fatally shooting Kruger in his Point Breeze home earlier this month.
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office quietly entered into a settlement agreement to resolve allegations of sexual harassment against one of his most trusted senior aides weeks before the staffer resigned, Spotlight PA has learned. The newsroom was not able to immediately determine the amount of the settlement.
Han Dynasty, Sal Vetri’s meatballs, and a sandwich topped with gold join the food lineup at Wells Fargo Center this season.
The Eagles will head to MetLife Stadium on Sunday for a date with the Aaron Rodgers-less Jets. Here’s how the experts in the local and national media see the game playing out.
Even 5,000 miles away from Philadelphia, Nadine Bonner feels the Phillies working their postseason magic.
Bonner moved to Israel in 2020 to be closer to her 11 grandchildren. As the war outside her window rages on, the 71-year-old settles in to listen to the team she’s loved for 60 years slug their way to victory.
Bonner keeps baseball in perspective. She worries nearly constantly about her own safety, her family’s, her grandson who’s soon to join the Israeli army, and those who have been injured, killed, kidnapped. But her lifelong team brings her a measure of joy amidst an eerie reality.
Notable quote: “Nothing’s going to make the horror of war to go away; cheering for the Phillies isn’t going to save anyone’s life. But this is good for my mental health. Even in wartime, baseball must go on,” Bonner said.
Keep reading about how this fan’s dedication keeps her afloat all the way from Beit Shemesh.
❓Pop quiz❓
The German city that helped launch our Germantown in 1683 still honors Philly today.
What’s the city’s name?
A) Kiel
B) Krefeld
C) Düsseldorf
D) Altstadt
Think you got it? Check your answer here.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram 🧩
Hint: Once upon a midnight dreary ...
PANGAEA ROLLED
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Jacqueline Penrod who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Belmont Plateau.
Photo of the day
🎶 For today’s Sunday track, we’re listening to: “I don’t know, but I believe / We’ll get another day together.”
👋🏽 Thanks for catching up on the news with me. Stay safe out there.