Author: Mike Rush

“Just as businesses figure out how to navigate the disruptions of the coronavirus, so do arts-oriented nonprofits as government orders have prompted organizers to cancel concerts and theaters to close their doors,” writes Jack Jacobs in Thursday’s (5/14) Richmond Biz Sense (Virginia). “The Richmond Symphony canceled its spring programs, and hopes to pick back up with live performances this summer, though that will depend on government guidelines, Executive Director David Fisk said. [With] payroll assistance from the federal government [and] donations … the symphony hasn’t laid off any employees…. The symphony held a virtual concert and fundraiser via Facebook Live in late April…. Once stay-at-home orders are lifted … Fisk expects that while there will be people eager to see live music, others may continue to be wary of crowds… The Richmond Symphony … is looking into how it can broadcast performances…. The pandemic’s disruptions have created a difficult climate for musicians. Members of the symphony patch together an income drawn from the steady employment of the symphony and other performance gigs … which have dried up. But Fisk seemed hopeful the symphony would survive and felt musicians will play a key role in uniting the community in the aftermath of the pandemic.”

With the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra’s large-ensemble rehearsals, instruction, and concerts cancelled due to the coronavirus, the orchestra is creating online and web-based music education and performance opportunities. Digital instruction includes group video lessons for violin, viola, cello, and bass sections for members of the youth orchestra’s string ensemble, which is directed by Philadelphia Orchestra cellist Gloria dePasquale. The PYO is developing online master classes and tutorials with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra, many of whom are PYO alumni, and creating online performances that combine individual student recordings into one group performance. A digital platform is being developed for students to submit audition materials later this spring, if PYO is unable to hold its live auditions scheduled for June. “We are developing material that fosters unity during this time of crisis and uncertainty using new engagement tactics and teaching protocols,” says PYO President and Music Director Louis Scaglione.

“University Musical Society at the University of Michigan presents 60-75 performances in music, theater and dance annually and offers over 100 free education activities throughout its season,” writes Meredith Bruckner in Friday’s (4/24) WDIV-TV (Michigan). “UMS’ season was cut short this year…. UMS president Matthew VanBesien … a veteran in performing arts management [leadership roles at the Houston Symphony, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and New York Philharmonic] … said that UMS plans to announce its next season on April 30, but acknowledges that the season ‘most certainly will be disrupted’ by the pandemic and its potential lasting effects. Q: What do you predict the next year will look like for the performing arts sector? Van Besien: When 9/11 happened and then the financial crisis in 2009, those were real stress tests for organizations. This is a stress test that I don’t think many organizations have ever faced before…. It’s going to require flexibility and dynamic thinking…. We’re forging ahead and announcing our new season.… We know it will most certainly be disrupted or altered…. We’re pouring our energy now into preparing to create an environment that’s safe for everyone from a public health standpoint, but that’s dynamic and still allows for artists and audiences to have great artistic experiences together.”

“The Presser Foundation has awarded a special round of grants to music groups as they struggle with the disappearance of ticket sales and challenging fundraising in the COVID-19 era,” writes Peter Dobrin in Wednesday’s (4/29) Philadelphia Inquirer. “The awards … are going to 85 groups, mostly in the Philadelphia area, with the total coming to $521,250…. For Symphony in C, which received $12,500, the news comes at a critical juncture. ‘The cancellation of two concerts, curtailed educational programs, as well as postponing our annual gala until next year, meant a significant decrease in the symphony’s earned and contributed revenue,’ said Pamela Brant, president of the orchestra, which performs at the Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts…. ‘This special grant may very well make the difference between ending [our fiscal year] in the red and ending in the black.’ The list of recipients ranges from … the Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, and WRTI-FM, to educational groups like Play On Philly … ‘We are in a good position … to free up this money to provide for immediate need. But we are thinking about [grants to address] the extended need for when the doors open,’ said Presser executive director Teresa Araco Rodgers.’ ”

“The 1918 influenza pandemic killed an estimated 675,000 Americans and shut down public gatherings in many big cities for weeks or months,” writes Joe Lynch in Monday’s (4/27) Billboard.com. “The issues facing the entertainment business at the time seem frighteningly familiar…. The Oct. 12, 1918, issue of Billboard described the theater business as ‘practically paralyzed’ by the pandemic…. A Georgia state fair was allowed to take place as long as ‘everyone entering the grounds would be compelled to wear a flu mask.’ … Everyone from the American Federation of Musicians to Actors’ Equity Association to an Oklahoma union of movie projectionists navigated the contractually nebulous waters of getting their people paid…. The 1918 pandemic did subside, though at different paces per region. Boston, one of the first east coast cities to darken its theaters, was also one of the first to reopen…. Midwestern cities, which were reluctant to enforce consistent closures with the notable exception of St. Louis, were still ailing by the holidays…. The Metropolitan Opera House of St. Paul, MN, aired this grievance on Dec. 23, 1918 after five staggered weeks of postponements: ‘Members of the company are waiting here with slim prospects for a merry Christmas.’ ”

In Monday’s (4/27) Self magazine, Dallas Symphony Orchestra Principal Harp Emily Levin is interviewed as part of an ongoing series profiling “people from a wide range of backgrounds whose lives have changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Normally, Levin’s days are packed, revolving around Dallas’s Meyerson Symphony Center, teaching harp at Southern Methodist University, and serving as artistic director of the Fine Arts Chamber Players.” Levin says, “Some aspects of my life, like writing emails and organizing projects, are still very much the same. Others, like going to the hall to rehearse every day, or going in to teach, are gone, and it’s an empty feeling…. I have time to do work and still have time to read, work out, and enjoy nature…. I did a live-stream recital from my living room early on in the quarantine…. We had a virtual DSO get-together this morning, and it was nice to see people, but there was this hanging feeling of sadness…. There’s no substitute for being on stage with 90 of your colleagues making this one giant piece of art together…. When our only form of connectivity comes virtually … it’s made the non-virtual world a sweeter place.”

“Despite cancelling the remainder of its 2019-20 season and the entirety of the 2020 Boston Pops season due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra is looking toward the future,” writes Kevin Slane in Thursday’s (4/30) Boston.com. “The BSO announced its 2020-21 season lineup on Thursday, highlighted by a 250th anniversary celebration of Beethoven’s symphonies, Shostakovich’s opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Holst’s The Planets, and many other landmark orchestral works. In a video that accompanied the announcement, BSO music director Andris Nelsons [said], ‘With the world going through so much upheaval around the coronavirus, I find it absolutely essential to look toward the future when we will all gather again as a community around the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s magnificent music-making …’ The 2020-21 season, which runs from Sept. 16 through May 1, will kick off with two weeks of all-Beethoven programming … According to a press release, the BSO will offer complimentary concert nights and a season-long 50 percent ticket discount offer in honor of Greater Boston’s essential workers during the COVID-19 crisis…. For its the summer programs and the 2020-21 season, the BSO said it will follow recommendations of public health officials as to whether performances can be held safely.”