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Two weeks after temporarily laying off staff and musicians, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra is offering them reduced hours. Everyone will be able to work 70 per cent of regular hours per week at home while the CPO is shut down.

“Our musicians and staff have shown incredible dedication over the past two weeks, continuing to work hard and connect with audiences online even while facing layoffs,” says CPO president and CEO Paul Dornian. “We are so relieved to be able to give them a chance to earn more than they would be making on EI during this difficult time.”

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The layoff notices to 83 musicians and staff took effect on March 28 but, behind the scenes, the CPO had been collaborating with its board, management team, musicians’ union and foundation to find a solution. Musicians voted unanimously on March 30 to accept the part-time plan.

“The layoff was strategically the right thing to do and the only thing to do at the time. When we had to shut down on March 12, we had to cancel a sold-out performance … and we had to shut down in a couple of hours of notice,” said Dornian.