Speakeysie News Desk

ATLANTA — We are pleased to announce that after several months of negotiation, the Atlanta Opera and the musicians in its orchestra have agreed to renew their collective bargaining agreement for an additional four years (through June 2028) with higher pay rates, bonuses, and modified working conditions.

The new contract reflects a 20% rate increase, surpassing inflation projections through the end of the term, and the creation of a bonus fund that will be distributed to the musicians in contract years three and four.

Compensation for Atlanta Opera’s part-time professional orchestra musicians is based on hours worked during rehearsals and performances for the Opera’s four to six productions in a season. The base hourly rate has been agreed to as fair and appropriate by both parties, although annualized compensation for each musician varies by scheduled service and individually negotiated overscale.

“The Atlanta Opera’s orchestra musicians are essential to the art of opera, and we treasure the professional expertise they bring to our productions,” says Tomer Zvulun, Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director of The Atlanta Opera. “We thank the negotiating team for a candid exchange of ideas and concerns during this time of critical organizational growth. Reaching a fair and mutually beneficial agreement for the next four years continues the financial stability and artistic excellence of The Atlanta Opera.”

“The musicians of the Atlanta Opera Orchestra are pleased to have reached an agreement with the Atlanta Opera. As the heart and soul of the company, the musicians look forward to continued collaborations as we experience tremendous growth,” says Kelly Bryant, President of the Atlanta Opera Orchestra Players Association. “We would like to take this opportunity to thank the many patrons and supporters of the Atlanta Opera. We love bringing our music to you!”

The Opera’s future plans include developing its new headquarters, The Molly Blank Center for Opera, to be built on the Atlanta Beltway. Offering the opera a state-of-the-art rehearsal space, jewelbox recital hall, along with administrative, educational, and operational spaces, the new building, including a renovation of the existing Bobby Jones Clubhouse, is expected to open in Spring 2027.

Artistic developments have included the recent retirement of its long-time music director Arthur Fagen to serve as music director emeritus, a four-season commitment to producing a new staging of the four operas of Richard Wagner’s RING CYCLE, expansion of The Atlanta Opera Film Studio, extending the reach of education programs into a tri-state area, and the continued development of new opera through the Discoveries series and the 96-Hour Opera Festival.

Upcoming at The Atlanta Opera 

March 1 – 9, 2025:  Macbeth by Giuseppe Verdi

April 26 – May 1, 2025:  Siegfried by Richard Wagner

June 7 – 15, 2025:  Semele by G.F. Handel

June 17 – 22, 2025:  96-Hour Opera Festival

For more information: AtlantaOpera.org

Media contact: Michelle Winters, Director of Communication and PR

About The Atlanta Opera 

Hailed by The New York Times as “Bringing Opera Back from the Brink,” The Atlanta Opera continues to break the boundaries of opera to create exceptional experiences for audiences everywhere. Founded in 1979, the company works with world-renowned singers, conductors, directors, and designers who seek to enhance the art form. Under the leadership of internationally recognized stage director and Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun, The Atlanta Opera expanded from three to four mainstage productions at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, and launched the acclaimed “Discoveries” event series, and the innovative 96-Hour Opera Project. In recent years, the company has been named among the “Best of 2024” by the Atlanta Magazine, has been nominated in 2016 and 2023 for an International Opera Award, received an ArtsATL’s 2019 Luminary Award for Community Engagement in recognition of its successful Veterans Program in partnership with the Home Depot Foundation, the 2023 Governor’s Award for the Arts and Humanities recognized the excellence of the 96-Hour Opera Project. In addition, The Atlanta Opera was featured in a 2018 Harvard Business School case study about successful organizational growth, and Zvulun presented a TEDx Talk at Emory University titled “The Ambidextrous Opera Company, or Opera in the Age of iPhones.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, The Atlanta Opera was one of the only companies in the world to create a full, alternative season, consisting of no less than 40 live performances in two different outdoor venues, including a revolutionary custom-designed circus tent. The critically acclaimed productions and concerts were streamed in HD on the newly created streaming platform “Atlanta Opera Film Studio,” which continues to allow The Atlanta Opera to reach a global audience. National media coverage of the “pandemic season” included features in the Wall Street Journal and PBS NewsHour. Reflecting on the company’s achievements over the past decade, Musical America declared, “The Atlanta Opera Has Arrived.”