The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and its musicians said Thursday they’ve reached a new three-year contract deal after months of negotiations.

Under the agreement, musicians with the BSO, represented by the Musicians’ Association of Metropolitan Baltimore, will see an increase in minimum salary by 12% by 2028, according to a news release. Base salary will increase from $92,811 to $101,350 in the next three years. The groups described the deal as the “most financially ambitious contract in more than a decade.”

“This new contract empowers us to build on our legacy of world-class artistry, community, and economic impact, while enabling us to attract and retain the next generation of musicians,” Jeremy Buckler, chair of the Players’ Committee, said in the news release.

The new contract revised audition and tenure review processes to give candidates an “equal opportunity” to be selected, according to the release. The musicians’ union and BSO also agreed to new operational and scheduling flexibility, which they hope will give the orchestra “greater ability to meet audience expectations,” and respond to new performance opportunities.

Details of the deal come after the union authorized a strike earlier this week before reaching a tentative agreement, reported WJZ. Musicians were pushing for management to match base pay with other major city orchestras.

“Just as we are honored to recognize their value with meaningful pay increases, we are deeply grateful to our musician colleagues for embracing important [collective bargaining agreement] changes that position us to expand audiences and strengthen revenue,” said Mark Hanson, president and CEO of the orchestra. “Together, we can ensure the BSO remains a cultural cornerstone for generations to come.”

The orchestra will have Gala concerts this Friday at the Music Center at Strathmore and Saturday at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall to celebrate, and encouraged people to attend in celebration of the milestone. Tickets start at $58.

There are more than 80 members in the orchestra, which performs annually for more than 275,000 people throughout the state of Maryland. The century-old orchestra has seen an increase in ticket sales and donations since the appointment of Jonathon Heyward, the first person of color to lead the orchestra, and as more accessible ticket options became available.