FIRST OFF . . .

The New York City Opera canceled the remaining six weeks of its never-opened fall season Sunday after striking orchestra members overwhelmingly rejected a contract offer, the company’s lawyer said. Members of Local 802 of the Associated Musicians of Greater New York voted 56-4 against the four-year proposal, which a union spokeswoman said didn’t go far enough in improving wages and benefits. The orchestra members have been on strike since Sept. 13--what would have been the season’s opening night. In addition to the orchestra members, 300 to 400 performers and backstage personnel are idled by the strike, said Martin Oppenheimer, the opera’s attorney and lead negotiator. “The human loss is obviously significant and very regrettable,” Oppenheimer said. Equally important, he added, is “the cultural loss to this community.” No new talks were scheduled but both sides said they probably would meet soon, in hopes of saving the opera’s spring season.