Minnesota Orchestra cancels summer series; labor dispute continues

In the face of a labor dispute with musicians, the Minnesota Orchestra management on Wednesday canceled six scheduled summer concerts.

Management says it will not announce a new season until it can assure patrons the concerts will take place. There has been little public progress in the labor dispute for months, but Minnesota Orchestra President and CEO Michael Henson said efforts to find a settlement continue behind the scenes.

"We continue to work diligently to find a process that can move the negotiations forward and the work that we are carrying out now is outside of the public eye and we believe that it is beneficial to work outside that spotlight for now," Henson said.

Representatives for the musicians declined to comment on the cancellations. The concerts were scheduled for weekends between July 20 and Aug. 3. Management locked out the musicians on Oct. 1 after they rejected a contract proposal cutting salaries by almost a third.