NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Nashville Symphony has suspended much of its season after declaring a financial emergency, a move that will furlough 77 musicians and 27 full-time staff members.
The announcement caught many off guard, including longtime symphony musicians.
"The musicians are completely blindsided by this catastrophic financial crisis that's been thrust on us," said Joel Reist, principal bass player and chair of the orchestra committee for the Nashville Symphony.
Reist has played in the Nashville Symphony since 1998.
He said the financial impact will be immediate and severe.
"All of our pay stops in late October, and all our benefits stop. This is a huge concern, especially for health insurance," Reist said.
To cover expenses during the furlough, Reist said he plans to sell his bass — the instrument that has been his livelihood for decades — and replace it with something cheaper down the line.
"I'm going to be left with enough money to keep my house warm and my family nourished for about four months," Reist said.
Late in the day on Tuesday September 29, the Nashville Symphony also announced President and CEO Mark Cantrell has stepped down. The Board of Directors has appointed Mark Tillinger as President and CEO, effective immediately.
Dave Pomeroy with the Nashville Musicians Association said the union is negotiating with the symphony to help members during the furlough. Musicians may be eligible for unemployment benefits and strike pay.
"We'll be working together with the musicians and as much as possible with management to fix this situation as quickly as possible," Pomeroy said.
Pomeroy said he hopes there will be longer term fixes made that can prevent this kind of thing in the future.
"We have to change the culture of how the Nashville Symphony is funded, and it really needs to be from donors and not through ticket sales," Pomeroy said.
The suspension begins Oct. 18. While the symphony will not be performing, independent productions and two major fundraisers will continue at the Schermerhorn.
Click here for more information on the reasons for the furlough or watch below
The impact extends beyond musicians. Fans and music educators are also feeling the loss.
NewsChannel 5 stopped by Williams Fine Violins and talked with owner Dustin Williams.
The shop is a place where many young musicians purchase their first instruments and take lessons.
Williams reflected on what the symphony means to the community.
"I'm sure that most people probably remember that time when they were in elementary school or middle school or high school, and they went, and they saw a symphony play, and they went, wow, that was amazing," Williams said.
NewsChannel 5 reached out to the symphony for comment or an interview for this story; the web article will be updated if they send one.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at robb.coles@newschannel5.com.
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