The Minnesota Orchestra has canceled all its remaining performances for year, including holiday concerts, as musicians and management dig in their heels in a protracted contract dispute, says the Star Tribune. The move, affecting 21 scheduled shows, means the orchestra has canceled the first 2 1/2 months of the 2012-13 season, the longest layoff among U.S. classical groups mired in labor battles.

Management locked out musicians after negotiations broke down on Sept. 30. Pending an agreement, the orchestra’s next scheduled performance would be on Jan. 11, but the two sides remain far apart, with management seeking to cut labor costs by a third.