Minnesota Orchestra concerts canceled through April

The Minnesota Orchestra, embroiled in a labor dispute with its musicians since last fall, has canceled concerts through April 27.

With no negotiations scheduled in the contract standoff, it would appear at this point the entire season is in peril. There are only three more classical programs and two pops concerts on the schedule in May and early June. The season is set to end June 2.

This season was to have been presented at the Minneapolis Convention Center while Orchestra Hall underwent a $52 million renovation. The hall is scheduled to reopen on July 25.

Musicians were locked out on Oct. 1 after rejecting a proposal that would have cut base salaries by 32 percent. The union has not made a counterproposal, and, since October, the two sides have met only once — on Jan. 2. The sides agreed to move forward with a financial analysis of the orchestra, but they have not agreed on the parameters of that analysis.

"We will soon mark one full year since the start of our negotiations, and we renew our call to the musicians to issue a counterproposal that helps resolve the Orchestra's financial challenges," said board chairman Jon Campbell in a statement.

Tim Zavadil, of the union negotiating team, said the musicians are trying to get a complete picture of the orchestra's finances.

"The longer we are stalled from getting to the analysis, the more confusing and frustrating this process becomes," Zavadil said.

Yevgeny Sudbin had been scheduled to play Beethoven's piano concerto No. 2 with Osmo Vänskä conducting April 11-13; concertmaster Erin Keefe was to play Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with Stanislaw Skrowaczewski conducting April 25-26.

Also affected is an Inside the Classics program on April 19 and the "Wicked Divas of Broadway" on April 20. A Young People's concert and a Bobby McFerrin show will be rescheduled in 2013-14.

As usual, ticket holders will be notified.