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Salary increases, the addition of four dedicated core musician positions, and increased focus on fundraising and marketing efforts are part of a new four-year contract ratified by the Richmond Symphony and its musicians’ union last week.

The contract, which goes through Aug. 23, 2022, includes wage increases of 1.5 to 2.5 percent for each of the next four years. That pushes salaries for section musicians to $36,847, for associate principals to $42,010, and for principal musicians to $47,901 by the final year of the agreement.

Four positions within the orchestra — starting with principal tuba and second horn — will become core, or full-time, positions. The remaining two positions have yet to be determined.

By the end of the four years, those positions increase the symphony’s core complement from 37 to 41 musicians.

The musicians are represented by the Richmond Musicians’ Association, Local 123 of the American Federation of Musicians. In addition to wage increases and core positions, the musicians agreed to expand their role in supporting the symphony’s fundraising and marketing efforts.

The former contract expired on Aug. 22, though musicians continued to perform during negotiations.

The symphony is in the final stages of a $12 million capital campaign, the last $1 million of which will help underwrite the new contract in three ways: By establishing the John R. Warkentin Fund, which pays for musicians’ salary increases and offers financial help to them during emergencies or hardship; establishes a new core expansion endowment fund; and offers a matching $250,000 challenge grant to support the second horn position through a new endowed fund.