Now is the right time to become an American Federation of Musicians member. From ragtime to rap, from the early phonograph to today's digital recordings, the AFM has been there for its members. And now there are more benefits available to AFM members than ever before, including a multi-million dollar pension fund, excellent contract protection, instrument and travelers insurance, work referral programs and access to licensed booking agents to keep you working.

As an AFM member, you are part of a membership of more than 80,000 musicians. Experience has proven that collective activity on behalf of individuals with similar interests is the most effective way to achieve a goal. The AFM can negotiate agreements and administer contracts, procure valuable benefits and achieve legislative goals. A single musician has no such power.

The AFM has a proud history of managing change rather than being victimized by it. We find strength in adversity, and when the going gets tough, we get creative - all on your behalf.

Like the industry, the AFM is also changing and evolving, and its policies and programs will move in new directions dictated by its members. As a member, you will determine these directions through your interest and involvement. Your membership card will be your key to participation in governing your union, keeping it responsive to your needs and enabling it to serve you better. To become a member now, visit www.afm.org/join.

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Orchestra News

Project 19: New York Phil Celebrates Centennial of 19th Amendment

With Project 19, the New York Philharmonic is commissioning new works by 19 woman composers in celebration of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote 100 years ago.


Boston Symphony Orchestra Tour to East Asia Canceled Due to Coronavirus Concerns

The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s four-city tour to East Asia (Seoul, Taipei, Shanghai, and Hong Kong) with Andris Nelsons, February 6-16, has been canceled due to increasing concerns over widely documented official news and government agency reports assessing the spread of the new coronavirus. These concerns, along with discussions with the Shanghai Oriental Art Center—whose leadership […]


In Union: Musicians Ratify CBA with Boise Philharmonic

By Lindsay Bohl, Vice President, and Michael Maier, Officer at Large, of Local 423 (Boise, ID) Last month, in January 2020, the members of Local 423 (Boise, ID)—the AFM’s newest local—ratified our hard-earned first Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the Boise Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO). This success came only 15 months after we first started our […]


North Carolina Symphony Collects Donations for Children in Need

Over its busy holiday concert season, the North Carolina Symphony (NCS) collected enough food and cash donations to provide 462 healthy meals for children in need in the local community. Symphony ticket buyers, staff, and musicians—members of Local 500 (Raleigh, NC)—dropped off donations at holiday concerts and at the symphony’s box office. NCS worked with […]


Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Broadcast on New Year’s Eve

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) rang in 2020 with a televised concert on Georgia PBS station GPB Media on New Year’s Eve. The television station broadcast ASO’s 2019-2020 season-opening concert from September, which included the Prelude to Act I of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Jennifer Higdon’s “Concerto for Orchestra.” ASO Music Director Robert […]


Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Offers Free Community Concerts

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) has launched a new concert series intended to bring the symphony out of the concert hall and into various community locations throughout the city of Baltimore. Through the Symphony in the City series, BSO musicians, who are represented by Local 40-543 (Baltimore, MD), will perform in venues such as museums, […]


Dallas Symphony Orchestra Presents Free Yoga Classes

Just in time for New Year’s resolutions, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) began offering free yoga classes at the Meyerson Symphony Center at the beginning of January. Classes are held two mornings per week and are open to the public, with no registration necessary. The yoga classes are the latest offering in DSO’s wellness initiatives. […]


St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Announces Balanced Budget

In December, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO) announced a balanced budget for fiscal year 2019. An operating surplus of $143,337 for the year will be moved to a “rainy day” fund. This was the orchestra’s 24th balanced budget out of the past 26 years. The SPCO also announced record high attendance for the 2018-2019 […]


Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Receives over $7 Million in Gifts, Endowment

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) has secured $6 million in operating gifts as well as a $1.25 million endowment gift in the past month to ensure that it can move forward with the transformative, multi-year planning efforts currently underway. Funds will provide immediate cash flow and balance sheet relief as well as position the orchestra […]


San Francisco Symphony to Release Ongoing Live Concert Recordings From 2019–20 Season

Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) announced the launch of SFS Media’s new Digital Concert Series on Apple Music and all major streaming and download platforms on January 10. In celebration of Thomas’s 25th and final season as music director, the series will include live concert recordings from 2019–2020 season […]








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