MnOrch announces more budget cuts
For the second time this year, the Minnesota Orchestra has announced budget cuts.
The Minnesota Orchestra is cutting its 2009-2010 season budget by $1 million, on top of a $1 million reduction made earlier in the year.
President and CEO Michael Hensen says the cuts are primarily administrative, and will not affect the orchestra's performance season.
Hensen says the orchestra's budget will be approximately $30 million for the year.
"We have other challenges to meet as we go forward. We don't know, and nobody knows, where this market is going at the moment," said Hensen. "We need to maintain excellence in music in the whole range of offerings that we do, and at the same time we need to continue to review, monitor and work on financial challenges that we, and everybody else, faces over the next two to three years."
As part of the cuts, Music Director Osmo Vanska will take a 10 percent pay cut. Other staff, depending on their salary, will take smaller pay cuts or a pay freeze.
The orchestra is eliminating four full-time staff positions, as well as reducing hours for other staff and decreasing its contribution to employee retirement plans.
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