Phoenix Symphony Holds Free Benefit Concert November 8; 66 Musicians Return Next Week After a Week Without Pay
Musicians of the Phoenix Symphony will hold a free benefit concert at 7 p.m. on Sunday, November 8, at Monroe Street Abbey in downtown Phoenix to raise funds for the musicians.
The orchestra's 2026-27 season was suspended less than three weeks ago amid a cash crisis, and its 66 musicians were laid off without pay for a week beginning November 2. The symphony's board said performances will resume next week, starting with a chamber concert at the Musical Instrument Museum on November 12, and that musicians' pay will resume on November 9 and is guaranteed through the end of the year.
The benefit concert aims to offset the income musicians lost during the layoff. Bridget Pasker, associate principal cello and co-chair of the orchestra committee, said the community has stepped up, but more help is needed to stabilize the organization and complete the full season, which runs through May. The concert is free and open to the public, and the orchestra hopes it will thank the community while building support for a long-term funding solution.
Source: The Phoenix Symphony
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：菲尼克斯交响乐团音乐厅。CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Phoenix Symphony Hall. CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
