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 musician contract negotiations have been underway for seven months now, but opinions differ on what progress, is any, has been made.

Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra concertmaster Steven Copes, associate concertmaster Ruggero Allifranchini and principal cello Ronald Thomas.

Dobson West, President and Chair of the SPCO Board of Directors, says the SPCO faces a challenging financial situation, and despite working aggressively to reduce expenses, the orchestra will have 

, the board seeks to reduce the cost of the musicians' contract by $1.5 million but the latest round of talks, held on July 10 and 11, yielded little.

In a phone conversation, West said he would not characterize the current situation as a stalemate. "There hasn't been any significant movement, but we have had a lot of good discussions, " he said.

Meanwhile Carole Mason Smith, Chair of the negotiating committee, says the musicians remain "hopeful and optimistic."

In the coming weeks board members will meet with major contributors to look at the potential for increased, sustainable revenue. Negotiations with musicians will continue on August 1 and 2. You can read the rest of West's update 

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Marianne Combs

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Musician contract negotiations have been underway for seven months now, but opinions differ on what progress, is any, has been made.

SPCO contract negotiations continue… slowly

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