From the time that COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) first impacted the performing arts, The Hub has been tracking postponements and cancellations by U.S. and international orchestras, performing arts centers, and conservatories.
The League of American Orchestras is posting information about coping with the pandemic as a service to the orchestra field. Find resources, guidance, and updates on the League’s coronavirus preparedness site.
To help reduce the spread of the virus, orchestras and other music organizations are obeying government bans of large gatherings, adhering to shelter-in-place mandates, and complying with guidance from health authorities. The following organizations have recently announced postponements, cancellations, and other shifts in concerts and related activities. Several orchestras are posting videos, recordings, and livestreams online free of charge, and many conservatories have moved to online learning. Please note that these organizations are revising their plans as the situation evolves; refer to their individual websites and social media pages for the most up-to-date information. (This list is not complete, and we will continue to post announcements as they arrive.)
The Allentown Symphony Association (Pennsylvania), parent organization of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra, El Sistema Lehigh Valley (ESLV), and Miller Symphony Hall, has cancelled all events through April 30, including the orchestra’s April 18 and 19 concerts. The organization had previously cancelled or postponed events through March 31. The organization will launch “Miller Symphony Hall @ Home,” a series of online recordings of past performances and other content.
The Austin Symphony Orchestra (Texas) has cancelled its April 3 and 4 concerts following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control. The orchestra is posting videos from past performances on the “Symphony Rewind” page of its website, and Austin Symphony musicians are posting videos on social media sites.
Bang on a Can (New York, New York), the new-music organization, has postponed the inaugural LONG PLAY festival, scheduled for May 1-3, due to the COVID-19 crisis. The festival was to feature dozens of concerts in multiple Brooklyn venues. Since its founding in 1987, Bang on a Can has maintained an archive of its recordings, videos, posters, program books, and more. Starting on May 1, these assets will be available on “Canland,” a new website.
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (New York) has suspended all events through April 26, following the state’s prohibition of all public gatherings.
The Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra (Oklahoma) has rescheduled its April 25 concert due to the coronavirus pandemic. The final concert of the orchestra’s 2019-20 season will now take place on July 18.
The Michigan Philharmonic (Plymouth, Michigan) has postponed its April 18 and 19 concerts until September 19, at a venue to be determined. The Philharmonic is posting videos clips of past concerts, most recently a performance of Brubeck’s “It’s About Time” at the Carr Center in Detroit.
The Nashville Symphony (Tennessee) has suspended all performance at Schermerhorn Symphony Center through May 12. These include Nashville Symphony concerts as well as outside presentations. New dates will be announced. The organization had previously suspended performances at Schermerhorn Symphony Center through March 31.
The Santa Rosa Symphony (California) has rescheduled its remaining 2019-20 concerts, with new dates in June, July, and August. The orchestra’s board of directors voted to pay the musicians who were hired for the original dates now, although their services will not be provided until the new dates. The Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra concert on May 9 has been cancelled. The Santa Rosa Symphony had previously suspended concerts through the end of March.
The Singapore Symphony has cancelled all concerts through the end of its 2019-20 season on May 24. The orchestra will livestream its March 28 “Spirit of Serenity” concert, featuring works by Britten, Pärt, and Tchaikovsky, without an audience present.
The Sioux City Symphony Orchestra (Iowa) has announced the postponement or cancellation of the remainder of this season’s concerts, including a gala fundraiser and May auditions for musicians.
The Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra (Florida) has cancelled the remainder of its 2019-20 season through May 2. The orchestra has started an online “TSO at Home” series that features audio excerpts from recent TSO performances, selected by people associated with the orchestra and in the community.
