Chicago Sinfonietta Musicians Secure a One Year Deal as the Orchestra Pauses Performances, With One January Concert Now Tied to Its 40th Anniversary and MLK Day
CHICAGO, IL — Chicago Sinfonietta musicians and the Chicago Federation of Musicians have agreed to a new one-year contract, even as the orchestra remains in a pause that has stopped concerts and educational programming.
The deal was announced Thursday and comes after months of uncertainty for the nearly 40-year-old ensemble, which has laid off administrative staff and is now operating with just one performance currently on the calendar.
A short-term deal after months without performances
The orchestra’s 63 rostered musicians are paid only when they perform, and they have not played with the Sinfonietta since May. The current labor agreement was set to expire at the end of this month, so the new pact gives both sides more time.
Union president BJ Levy said management bargained in good faith and that the one-year agreement includes a cost-of-living increase. He also said the musicians were pleased to secure wage gains during a contract period that remains unusually brief.
Why the Sinfonietta says it paused operations
Management has described the shutdown as a “strategic renewal period,” saying it needs time to focus on fundraising and long-term sustainability. In its own statement, the organization cited financial hardship tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and said audience levels and donations have not recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
The orchestra also said it had leaned too heavily on grant funding, leaving other revenue sources underdeveloped once those grants ended. Public records show it received about $200,000 from Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events from 2019 to 2025, plus $245,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts from 2019 to 2024.
What comes next for January and beyond
The only upcoming concert now attached to the new agreement is planned for January, timed to Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the orchestra’s 40th anniversary. The union said Thursday that the concert has not yet been scheduled, even though the Sinfonietta had previously mentioned a fundraising event around MLK Day.
The union also said the organization has committed to returning to the bargaining table in March to work on a new three-year contract, which would replace the current one when it expires at the end of August 2027. Sidney Jackson, who was appointed to lead the orchestra in 2025, said the short-term deal gives the board time to develop a longer-term plan for programming and financial stability.
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