Calgary AB (October 1, 2025) — The Calgary Philharmonic Society, together with the Calgary Philharmonic Players Association (CPPA), and Calgary Musicians Association (Local 547 American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada), are pleased to announce a new three-year collective bargaining agreement for the 2025/2026, 2026/2027, and 2027/2028 seasons. This new agreement demonstrates our shared commitment to strengthening the Calgary Phil, building on our current momentum and success, and deepening our service to the community.
“We are excited to come to this agreement with our management and appreciate our organization’s meaningful investment in the musicians,” says Nikolette LaBonte, Principal Horn and Chair of the CPPA’s Negotiating Committee. “We believe this agreement will benefit all parties involved. Musicians will have increased pay to keep up with the cost of inflation, potential new members will have more equitable processes for auditions and tenure review, and the Calgary Phil will have new opportunities to bring world-class music to Calgary and Southern Alberta.”
Highlights of the three-year agreement include:
- More competitive compensation for Orchestra musicians, with the base salary for section players increasing over the course of the agreement from $56,763.60 to $63,845.60 for a 40-week season.
- More flexible working conditions that enable the Calgary Phil to better serve our communities.
- Revised audition and tenure processes, updated to increase fairness and transparency.
“The Calgary Musicians Association is pleased to have reached a new three-year agreement with the Calgary Philharmonic Society which recognizes the needs of musicians, adds further measures to protect the integrity of the audition and tenure process, and helps to ensure a strong future for the Calgary Philharmonic, a flagship arts organization for Calgary and Southern Alberta,” says Tricia Edwards from the Calgary Musicians Association. “Thank you to all those on the negotiating teams for their hard work and to our member musicians for their support.”
“A big thank you to the negotiating teams for working hard together to reach this historic agreement,” says Marc Stevens, President + CEO of Calgary Philharmonic Society. “It combines vital improved remuneration for the superb Calgary Phil players with scheduling flexibility to enable us all to reach more people in cost-efficient ways. We are also all aligned and committed to making our audition and tenure processes better, fairer, and more transparent.”
