The economic downturn, which has hit art organizations with the double whammy of declining contributions and ticket sales, is really wreaking havoc with opera companies - always troubled by production costs, inevitably the highest among performing organizations. San Francisco Opera General Director David Gockley has been extra careful with expenses, having already made such painful decisions as canceling highly anticipated (but "uneconomic") productions of Britten's "Peter Grimes" and family performances of Mozart's "The Abduction from the Seraglio." On Tuesday, Gockley told his administrative staff about reducing compensations and benefits in response to "mounting fiscal challenges." Expecting more than $1 million in savings as the result of a "gut-wrenching process," Gockley announced deferment of filling four open positions; a one-week unpaid furlough set for early January 2010; suspension of company contributions to employee 401(a) pension plans; increases in staff contributions to employee health care; permanent removal of parking subsidies; and a 5% pay cut for the top five highest paid Company executives. These and some other measures, Gockley said, are alternatives to "simply eliminating 10 to 15 administrative staff positions or enforcing across-the-board salary reductions." The Opera's projected budget for 2009/2010 is currently set at $63 million and with today's announcement reflects a $6 million reduction from original plans. After the company's summer programs next month, the 87th season opens Sept. 11 with Verdi's "Il Trovatore", conducted by incoming Music Director Nicola Luisotti. Janos Gereben www.sfcv.org [log in to unmask] *********************************************** The CLASSICAL mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's HDMail High Deliverability Mailer for reliable, lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html