Pacific Symphony signs new pacts

The Pacific Symphony will keep its artistic and business leadership intact, and has ensured labor stability with its musicians as it enters a crucial time in which it will occupy a new concert hall at the Orange County Performing Arts Center and expand its performance schedule.

Carl St.Clair, music director since 1990, has signed a three-year contract extension through the 2008-09 season, which means he will be on the podium in fall 2006 when the orchestra moves from the 3,000-seat, multipurpose Segerstrom Hall to a 2,000-seat symphony hall now under construction.

John Forsyte, the orchestra’s president since 1998, had his contract extended through the 2006-07 season, and John Stahr has been named chairman of the orchestra’s board through 2006-07.

The orchestra also has signed a new four-year contract with the American Federation of Musicians, Local 7, extending from the just-concluded 2003-04 season through 2006-07, the first one in the new hall. Increases are 3% in the first two years, 4% in the third and 6% in the fourth.

Frank Amoss, president of the union local, said rank-and-file orchestra members will see their pay rise from $155.09 to $176.10 per performance over the contract.

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Mike Boehm