The Musicians of the Boston Symphony Orchestra have released a statement following the opening of contract negotiations with Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) management on April 21.

The musicians entered the negotiations in good faith, committed to the future of the Orchestra they have built over 145 years, and focused on a fair agreement that protects the artistic excellence that has defined the BSO for generations.

However, in recent weeks, dozens of orchestras around the world have written in support of the BSO musicians’ right to be part of artistic decision-making at their institution, a level of international solidarity that reflects how closely the global music community is watching what happens next in Boston.

In a statement Todd Seeber, Chair of the Players Committee said  “We love this Orchestra. We have given our careers to it, and it is the artistic pinnacle of our endeavors. The events of the past six weeks have made one thing clear. When decisions of artistic magnitude are made about the future of the BSO, the musicians who make the music have to be part of the conversation. That is not a radical idea. It is how great orchestras have always worked at their best, and why dozens of orchestras around the world have written to stand with us. We came to the table on April 21 ready to bargain in good faith, and we will continue to do so.”

According to a press release, the musicians said they bringing the following to the table:

• A decision making voice in artistic direction. Structural musician participation and buy-in in the major artistic decisions that define this Orchestra, including who will serve as our music director. For 145 years, the sound of the BSO has been built on the partnership between the musicians on the stage and the music director on the podium. For the sake of the audience and the institution, that partnership deserves to be formalized, not left to the discretion of any single Board or administration.
• Transparency from management. Patrons, donors, and, most importantly, the musicians need to be part of the development and implementation of an aligned vision.
• A fair economic agreement. Wages, benefits, and working conditions that reflect the BSO’s standing as one of the leading orchestras in the world, and that allow the BSO to continue attracting and retaining the world-class musicians its audiences expect. The Orchestra’s competitive position in the global market for talent is inseparable from its ability to remain a world-class institution.
• Protection of the musician-audience bond. Programming, touring, and Tanglewood commitments that honor the Orchestra’s 145-year relationship with the people of Boston, the Berkshires, and the world. Symphony Hall and Tanglewood are not interchangeable venues on a schedule, they are the two places where generations of audiences have formed a lifelong connection to this Orchestra, and any agreement coming out of these negotiations should protect and strengthen that connection.

The statement comes after several orchestras released statements in support of the BSO including the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Berlin Philharmonic.