Mar 5, 2014 1 min read

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra has laid off 17 support staff, including 14 phone sales reps who may be able to apply for jobs with a vendor being hired to do telemarketing.

The other three workers who were laid off were full-time patron services representatives, who will not be replaced.

Louise Sciannameo won’t identify the telemarketing vendor, but says the company will operate in the same downtown space near Heinz Hall where the 12 part-time and two full-time telemarketers worked. Sciannameo says the vendor was chosen after more than a year of research.

The layoffs are being made to cut costs so the orchestra can balance its budget. The orchestra had a $1.475 million deficit last year, about half of 2012’s shortfall.