The American Federation of Musicians, Local 101-473, the union representing the musicians at the Dayton Philharmonic, has released a statement following the news that the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance decided to cut programming for the 2026-27 season.

The statement said, “We are extremely disappointed by the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance’s decision to scale back programming for the 2026-27 season. These cuts harm the Philharmonic’s artistic mission, reduce community access to live orchestral music, and devalue the years of training and dedication of our musicians. Framing these reductions as ‘structural adjustments’ without meaningful collaboration with the workers who make up the philharmonic is unacceptable. Short-term cost-cutting should not come at the expense of artistic excellence or musicians’ livelihoods.”

The union added “We demand DPAA halt program eliminations, engage in mutually beneficial financial and artistic planning, and negotiate in good faith to preserve employment and programming. We call on patrons, civic leaders, and donors to oppose decisions that weaken Dayton’s cultural life.  Sustainable financial planning must be aligned with artistic vitality and the stability of the professional musicians who make the Philharmonic possible. We are prepared to use whatever tools are available to us to achieve these goals.”

The union also noted that it had launched a petition in order to protect the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra’s artistic mission and programming.

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