As a classical musician, I feel it is necessary to respond to the letter by David Moorshead (“Lyric’s big game,” Voice, Sept. 11).
Mr. Moorshead criticizes the musicians of the Lyric Opera Orchestra for asking for higher wages, declaring that “they already receive sums well above those of the average worker.” Well, to put it bluntly, the musicians of the Lyric orchestra, and of any other major symphony or opera orchestra, are not “average workers.” They are artists at the pinnacle of their profession, an achievement attained only by the very few, and only through a lifetime of discipline, hard work and sacrifice.
Mastery of the instrument, in itself a major undertaking, is not enough. A successful classical musician has had years of intense training, is most likely to hold a master’s or doctorate degree, and must maintain his skills every day through his entire career. In this respect, musicians have more in common with doctors, lawyers and other highly skilled professionals. Yet the salaries of musicians, even among the very best orchestras, lag well behind those of comparable professions.
In addition, those top jobs are few and far between, and the competition for them is fierce. The majority of us work for smaller, less secure orchestras, for wages that are usually below that of the “average worker.”
Mr. Moorshead then makes the ludicrous comparison between the Lyric musicians and pro baseball players. Just so the facts are straight: Last year, the base starting salary of a Lyric orchestra musician was $35,400 (24 weeks at $1,475 a week); Albert Belle made $11 million. Not only are these figures so far apart as to be laughable, but the question begs to be asked: Which one has contributed more to the city? And which one has less in common with the “average worker”?
Mr. Moorshead does make a valid point, that the revenues of arts organizations in general have been shrinking. But the Lyric is a stunning, and inspiring, exception to this rule. In the last two decades, it has become one of the most successful arts organizations in the world. This is thanks in no small part to the musicians who toil away so anonymously in the pit, musicians without whom there would simply be no opera. At this point in time, it is more than reasonable for those who have contributed to the success of the organization to want to share in its prosperity.
