San Francisco Opera’s season launch derailed as orchestra strike forces cancellations
San Francisco Opera‘s 104th season got off to an abrupt and disappointing start on Friday evening when a strike by the San Francisco Opera Orchestra forced the cancellation of the opening-night performance of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra. The industrial action has also led to the cancellation of the company’s annual Opera in the Park concert on 13 September, traditionally one of the organisation’s most popular free public events.
The decision came just minutes before curtain-up, with the company announcing at 7.25pm that the opening performance would not go ahead. No further cancellations have been announced, although negotiations between management and the orchestra remain ongoing.
Patrons holding tickets for the cancelled Simon Boccanegra performance may retain the value of their tickets as credit towards another production in the 2026-27 season, donate the value back to the company, or request a full refund.
In a statement, San Francisco Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock expressed frustration at the timing of the strike.
“I am very disappointed that the Orchestra has chosen to strike the opening of our 104th season, cancelling the opening performance and the beloved Opera in the Park concert, rather than continuing to engage in dialogue at the negotiating table.”
Shilvock said that while the company values its musicians, it can no longer sustain a compensation model established decades ago without adapting it to present-day economic realities.
The strike comes as mediated negotiations continue over a new collective bargaining agreement. The previous contract expired on 31 July 2026, and discussions have focused on proposed structural changes to musicians’ employment arrangements and compensation.
San Francisco Opera argues that it faces the same financial pressures affecting many performing arts organisations. Although the company reports encouraging growth in audiences and donor support, management says that rising costs have consistently outpaced revenues over many decades. According to the opera company, the result is an annual structural deficit of approximately $15 million and increasing pressure on its endowment reserves.
Management maintains that the existing orchestra contract was designed for a level of activity that is no longer economically sustainable. The company says it has proposed a multi-year agreement that would gradually introduce structural changes while increasing wage rates, with the aim of avoiding a reduction in musicians’ overall seasonal compensation during the life of the contract.
For the moment, both sides remain at an impasse. As audiences and artists await further developments, the cancellation of both opening night and Opera in the Park has cast an unwelcome shadow over the beginning of what was intended to be a celebratory new season.
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Italian ballerina Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
