The Musicians' Union has issued its response to the news that Welsh National Opera (WNO) has reportedly offered its musicians reduced contracts from April 2025.

It also comes at a time when the Mid Wales Opera has faced a 100% cut in its funding from Arts Council Wales.

The Union has long campaigned for a minimum full-time salary for tutti players of £30,000, with the news of the potential proposal meaning tutti players with Welsh National Opera would be paid around £28,000 as a result of a reduction in their working week.

Step backwards

The Union stated: "This represents a massive step backwards for orchestral musicians who are highly skilled and trained."

In August 2023 Welsh National Opera (based at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff — above) was informed of a 35% reduction in its joint funding from Arts Council Wales and Arts Council England — news that was described as "the reverse of levelling up".

Cuts to English National Opera funding for its orchestra musicians led to high profile resignations, although agreement on the proposals were recently made.

Negative impact

In response to the WNO news, the Musicians' Union Steward and Orchestra Committee of WNO was reported as stating: "We are shocked and saddened to be presented with the proposal of a reduced contract to begin next in April 2025.

We feel very strongly that the only way to maintain the artistic standards we expect of Wales's national opera company is through the retention of a full-time orchestra.

Anything less than that will have a negative impact on our ability to attract and recruit the best conductors and players, and both the quality and quantity of our output will suffer.

A move to part-time would be disastrous for the future success of Welsh National Opera."

It will be unsustainable for our members to weather such a hit by falling back to salaries they were on five years ago. It is a devastating situationJo Laverty, MU National Organiser for Orchestras

Unsustainable cuts

Jo Laverty, MU National Organiser for Orchestras told the MU website: "It will be unsustainable for our members to weather such a hit by falling back to salaries they were on five years ago. It is a devastating situation.

These proposals are the direct result of underfunding and defunding of opera. It will impact not just on our members but on WNO's audiences in Wales and England.

"This is yet another UK opera company having to contemplate their orchestra moving to part-time employment, meaning stable secure jobs in the profession are simply dying out".