The show will still go on for Thursday night’s SF Symphony The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers screening with a live orchestra and chorus, but the symphony’s musicians will be rabble-rousing out front before the show to protest a wage cut.

It’s been a hell of a year, and not really in a good way, for the SF Symphony. The sour notes stated last spring when renowned conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen announced he was resigning, likely over budget cuts. That led to a fan being ejected from a July 2024 show for holding up a sign that said (in Finnish) “Fuck the Board [of Directors].” Then in the fall, the SF Symphony Chorus went on strike, forcing the cancellation of shows.

That’s been resolved. But now the Chronicle reports that symphony musicians will be outside Davies Hall protesting their own show for Thursday night’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers screening with live symphony and choral performances. They're protesting the fact that they had their wages cut during COVID, and are still not back to full pay.

“Almost the entirety of the orchestra will be out demonstrating, passing out leaflets, holding signs, and engaging with patrons for the hour leading up to the show to let them know about the ongoing contract negotiations,” an unnamed spokesperson for the protesting musicians told the Chronicle.

And apparently they’re going to just run back in quickly, grab their instruments, and perform? The Symphony is still listed as performing, and they have not announced any labor stoppage.

The Symphony musicians argue that management has had their full pay restored, but the musicians have not. Management responds that raising those wages is infeasible given the symphony’s $12.5 million deficit.

“Most institutions in San Francisco and beyond are absorbing that message and responding to this moment with realism and resolve,” SF Symphony management said in an open letter published last week. “Regrettably, the union representing the San Francisco Symphony’s orchestra musicians is not.”

The Chronicle describes tonight's show as being a "sold-out" performance, though as of press time, we’re still seeing available tickets (albeit in the $350-$425 range). The same show is also scheduled for Friday and Saturday evenings this weekend.

Though then on Sunday, negotiations between the Symphony’s musician union and management are set to resume.

Update: The Symphony forwarded along their official statement, which says,

"We are scheduled to resume contract discussions this Sunday and remain committed to bargaining in good faith and working toward a viable agreement that supports our musicians and enables the organization to thrive artistically while ensuring long-term financial sustainability.

"Last week, we shared a dedicated website, sfsymphonyforward.com, to provide information about the Symphony’s vision and future and be transparent with our community about the Symphony’s finances. As we look forward, our responsibility is to the entire Symphony organization, our patrons, and our city—to safeguard our operations, honor our artistic values, and ensure the Symphony continues to inspire and serve our audiences for generations to come."

Related: SF Symphony Chorus Goes on Strike, Canceling Thursday Night’s Season Opening Performance [SFist]

Image: SF Symphony