The Houston Symphony has rejected an 11th-hour counterproposal by the players and “stuck with its ‘best and final’ offer of pay reduction averaging 7.4 percent across the orchestra.” On Friday, “musicians in the 97-seat Houston Symphony Orchestra instead proposed a 4 percent payroll reduction achieved through a two-week unpaid furlough and an immediate one-week salary deferral to allow the society some breathing room as it approaches a $6 million debt ceiling imposed by major foundations that contribute annually.”