ICSOM Conference in Honolulu Will Reflect Broad Meaning of Solidarity

April 1, 2026

IM  -  

by Keith Carrick, International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians Chair

As I’m writing this, much of my time is spent planning the 2026 International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) Conference, which will be held this summer in Honolulu and hosted by AFM Local 677 (Honolulu, HI) and the musicians of the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra. There is always a great deal to do in preparing a conference: crafting presentations, logistics, and trying to build a gathering that is both useful and meaningful. 

Honolulu is probably the most remote conference site ICSOM has ever chosen. For many delegates, it will be one of the longest trips they have made to attend our conference. And yet that distance is precisely part of why it matters.

The AFM is a large and far-reaching union. Our locals and our orchestras span North America, connecting musicians whose daily lives may look very different from one another. It can be easy to think of some places as peripheral, as if the center of our union life exists somewhere else. But solidarity has no center or edge. It only works if we understand that every orchestra, every local, and every member matters equally.

That is one reason the delegates felt it was important for ICSOM to have a presence in Hawai‘i, while the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra negotiates a new collective bargaining agreement. Being present matters. It matters to show our colleagues that they are not isolated, and to demonstrate that the concerns of musicians on an island in the Pacific are not in any way less urgent than those of musicians on the mainland. And it matters because unions, at their core, are built on the simple but powerful idea that a problem for you is a problem for me. 

This means recognizing that when one group of musicians is under pressure, all of us have a stake in the outcome. The wages, working conditions, job security, and dignity of our colleagues are never just local issues. They are part of a larger fight over what kind of profession this will be, and what kind of lives musicians will be able to build within it.

The ICSOM Conference itself will reflect that spirit. We are planning presentations on a broad range of issues, including sessions unique to Hawai‘i and the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra. I am especially glad that the conference will make space for local history, culture, and circumstances that shape musical life there. Every host orchestra has something to teach the rest of us, and Hawai‘i will be no exception.

Lately, the world has felt uncertain in ways that are hard to ignore. Our public life feels unstable. Democracy itself seems fragile. Many people are anxious about the future, not only of their work, but of the institutions and communities they depend on. In moments like this, I find a measure of stability and hope in our union.

The labor movement reminds us that we are not alone and that we do not have to face uncertainty as isolated individuals. It reminds us that the answer to fear is not to pull away, but to lean in. Now is the time to show up: for democracy, for your fellow citizens, and for your fellow AFM members.

We need that kind of solidarity now more than ever. And this summer in Honolulu, we will put it into practice.

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