Since its inception in 1998, the Key West Symphony has relied on musicians from outside of south Florida to fill its chairs. Musicians have come from Chicago, New York, Baltimore, and other cities to perform three concerts per season in Key West. This past season, the orchestra expanded to include performances at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale. Not only was the orchestra unable to meet payroll for their January concert, they were unable to reimburse musicians for travel expenses, leaving musicians personally liable for their airfare. Additionally, some musicians have reported being contacted by collection agencies regarding rental cars hired to shuttle musicians between Key West and Fort Lauderdale.
As the orchestra moves into its 2010-2011 season, musicians who are approached to perform for the Key West Symphony/South Florida Symphony should contact Local 655 immediately to get an update on the situation before accepting any work. Additionally, musicians of the orchestra have started a Facebook group to keep others apprised of the situation:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=106666492725582&ref=mf