Syracuse Symphony Orchestra management and its musicians may be at a crossroads.

SSO management has asked the musicians for $1.3 million in salary and benefit concessions for the 2011-2012 season, said Jon Garland, chair of the Musicians Committee. Monday, musicians told management and the board they cannot agree to this proposal, he said.



The executive committee of the SSO board set Monday as the deadline for receiving the musicians' response. The committee also told musicians it would propose a vote to consider suspending operations at a full-board meeting Tuesday, said Garland.

Vicky D’Agostino, SSO director of communications, confirmed a full board meeting is set for 5 p.m. Tuesday but did not know if a vote was planned.

Garland said musicians believe they have worked continually with management and the board to solve the organization’s fiscal crises, including taking salary and benefit cuts of $720,000 since July 1.

But, musicians rejected the executive committee’s proposal because it would be impossible to maintain a full orchestra in Syracuse with those concessions, said Garland.

The musicians and SSO management and board have been in discussions about everything from the musicians’ contract to music programming, marketing, and trimming the budget.

The SSO’s money problems have surfaced twice in the last eight months. Last summer the arts organization was close to collapse when it was without operating funds. An “angel investor” came to its rescue. In late January, it announced it faced a similar fate if it didn’t receive an immediate $375,000 to cover February expenses and needed a total of $1.75 million by Aug. 1 to continue its 50th anniversary season. A public fundraising campaign, “Keep the Music Playing” has been underway since Jan. 26, raising $719,153 from 2,287 donors.