Posted by Joe Sellmansberger on July 23, 1999 at 22:56:56:
In Reply to: salary posted by T.Lathon on July 23, 1999 at 20:54:12:
A good friend of mine who holds a principal chair on a woodwind instrument in one of the BIG orchestras grosses over $2XX,XXX including recordings, salary, and teaching at the tied-in fancy-schmancy conservatory. He is the only "super-star" orchestral player that I know who has ever discussed their salary with me. In more "quaint" "full-time" orchestras, some are lucky to gross $20,000 in orchestral salary, but some others do better. In the bottom-level full-time orchestras, the musicians are quite often treated like "the help" by their symphony boards, and the office workers for the orchestras are often given more respect and consideration than the ladies and gentlemen of the orchestras ("circus" or "carnival" workers mentality, in the minds of the board members). This situation is often a "shocker" for those who were "doted over" by their parents and studio teachers at the conservatories that they attended prior to winning their first "entry-level" orchestral jobs. This situation is not always the case, but often is.