Trinity Wall Street under the direction of conductor Julian Wachner has agreed to pay its contracted artists from March through their final tour this season on July 8th, despite cancelling all rehearsals and performances. This includes not only the staff singers of Trinity Wall Street, who are paid the highest church choral call rate in the city, but two orchestras: Novus NY and Trinity Baroque.
His staff singers are counting their blessings:
“I am not surprised that Trinity will pay during social-distancing measures. Julian has always fiercely advocated for his musicians. As the Director of Music and the Arts for a church that is not only a place of worship, but a cultural center in Lower Manhattan, and which has financial resources that many other cultural institutions do not, I believe he is setting a wonderful example. If all of those organizations which can afford to pay their artists during this difficult period do, it will help to lessen the severity of those consequences, and give those freelance musicians one less thing to worry about in an already very upsetting situation.”
Trinity Director Julian Wachner has a message for artists suffering through the economic catastrophe of COVID-19:
“The choices Trinity has made are based upon our core values which include integrity and stewardship- both of which are relevant in keeping our contractual word with the former and investing in people for the future as it presents itself with the latter. I’m so relieved that Trinity has committed to honoring all of our financial commitments at this most trying and scary of times.”
Thanks to Julian Wachner and Trinity Wall Street for their solidarity in this time of need.
ZF