Voices of Ascension and AGMA Jointly Announce New Three-Year Agreement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Katlyn Morahan | Morahan Arts and Media
katlyn@morahanartsandmedia.com | 646-378-9386

Voices of Ascension and AGMA Jointly
Announce New Three-Year Agreement 

Agreement Reflects Shared Commitment to Uplift and
Empower the Professional Choral Artists Who Make the
Organization’s Work Possible

“richly colored, impressive, and beautifully balanced” –Wall Street Journal

“a dynamic concert […] beautifully sung” –I Care If You Listen

www.voicesofascension.org 

June 26, 2025 (New York, NY) — Voices of Ascension and The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) are pleased to announce the ratification of a new three-year collective bargaining agreement, effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028. The agreement was overwhelmingly approved by AGMA members in the shop, and ratified by the AGMA Board of Governors on June 23.

“We’re thrilled to have reached this new agreement with AGMA, built on trust, shared values, and a deep commitment to artistic excellence, sustainability, and community,” said Jonathan Bradley, Executive Director, Voices of Ascension. “In a time of limited resources, partnerships like this show how organizations and artists can grow together. This model strengthens the artists at the heart of our work and helps Voices of Ascension thrive creatively, collaboratively, and sustainably. We’re deeply grateful to the AGMA members and negotiating team for their trust, their partnership, and their courage in joining with us to create such a forward-looking outcome.”

This contract reflects the shared commitment of both AGMA and Voices of Ascension to uplift and empower the professional choral artists who make the organization’s work possible. For the first time, the agreement establishes a seasonal roster of approximately 32 Artists, each guaranteed at least two offers per season. This new framework provides Artists with greatly increased job security, transparency, and artistic continuity.

“This agreement is a testament to what’s possible when both labor and management approach the bargaining table in good faith, with mutual respect and a shared vision for the future,” said Charles Perry Sprawls, member of the AGMA Negotiating Committee. “This was among the most positive, collaborative, progressive bargaining conversations that we have ever been a part of. We are so excited to work with Voice of Ascension’s leadership, who share our focus and commitment to the future of the organization, and on supporting the artists who are such an integral part of it.”

The agreement also includes:

• A 15% increase in wages over three years (5% annually)
• A 15% increase in recording and media fees
• More advanced notice of offers
• Strengthened anti-discrimination language
• Protections related to AI and data privacy
• A new advisory committee made up of Artists, which will participate in Board meetings and the decision-making process for leadership transitions
• Growth-oriented rates for large-scale projects
• Competitive subcontracting rates

This news comes after the recent announcement of Voices of Ascension’s 2025-2026 season, which kicks off with its annual Candlelight Christmas Concerts in December. Through a blend of contemporary and historical repertoire, Voices of Ascension fills its 36th season with music from the Renaissance to rarely-heard works by Brahms, Kodály, and Duruflé as they continue to celebrate the breadth of classical choral music while fostering the next generation of artists and music-lovers. Additional highlights include a collaboration with Dark Horse Consort in a thrilling intersection of scholarship and expressive brilliance in Monteverdi Vespers of 1610; a guest appearance by Beth Willer—Founder and Artistic Director of Lorelei Ensemble and Director of Choral Studies at the Peabody Institute—as she leads Voices of Ascension in a blend of contemporary and historical repertoire; and a concert that illuminates the depth and beauty of Renaissance choral music in Masters of the Renaissance: The Netherlands School.

About AGMA
The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) is the labor union of singers, dancers, and staging staff in opera, ballet and contemporary dance, and concert choral performance in the United States. A national union with a membership of ~7,000 artists, AGMA provides forceful advocacy and defense of its members’ employment and artistic rights. AGMA negotiates and enforces over 70 collective bargaining agreements nationwide, ensuring fair and safe working conditions and enhancing the quality of life for its members. AGMA has a direct charter from the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with the AFL-CIO Branch of Associated Actors and Artists of America and the Department for Professional Employees (DPE). AGMA is also a part of the Coalition of Broadway Unions and Guilds (COBUG).

About Voices of Ascension
Voices of Ascension is one of New York City’s premier professional choral ensembles, dedicated to presenting masterworks for chorus and orchestra at the highest artistic level. Founded in 1990 by Artistic Director Dennis Keene, Voices has built an international reputation for its exquisite choral artistry, innovative programming, and commitment to expanding the choral canon.

Performances by the Grammy-nominated ensemble have been praised as “richly colored, impressive, and beautifully balanced” (Wall Street Journal) and “inspired” (The New York Times). The ensemble’s landmark Duruflé Festival, the first-ever complete retrospective of the composer’s works, established Voices as a leader in presenting comprehensive explorations of major choral composers. Since then, Voices of Ascension has continued to champion both historical and contemporary repertoire, with a special commitment to new music, including commissions and premieres—particularly by female composers—in partnership with the Sorel Organization.

Throughout its 35-year history, Voices of Ascension has produced an acclaimed annual concert series, released multiple Grammy-nominated recordings, and engaged in artistic collaborations with the San Francisco Symphony, Mostly Mozart Festival, José Limón Dance, the Mark Morris Dance Group, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and others. The ensemble has also been a longtime partner of The Church of the Ascension, home to the Manton Memorial Organ, the only French-built organ in the United States and a direct link to Voices’ deep engagement with French sacred music traditions.

The organization plays an important role in mentoring emerging artists through its Voices of Promise program, which has supported over 50 young professional vocal soloists, and in creating community connections through Voices of Experience, an initiative bringing choral music to NYC’s senior centers.

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