An editorial by the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra in Friday’s (4/23) Seattle Times (WA) reads, “Finding a way to keep audiences connected and performers engaged [during the pandemic] has required a re-imagining of performance. For instance, when the Mount Baker Theatre in Bellingham closed last spring due to the pandemic, the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra [took] its popular concerts online…. One of the silver linings is the intimacy of these performances, recorded in soloists’ homes and studios. It’s also opened the door to [reaching] ‘people online who might not have wanted or been able to attend concerts in-person,’ music director Yaniv Attar says…. The pandemic spurred the BSO to create and share musical instruction tools…. ‘Learning how to make a kazoo from a carrot, or conducting a blob opera is so much fun for the whole family,’ says BSO Executive Director Gail Ridenour…. Each week, the BSO posts learning activities and videos on its website and to social media…. Artists with groups like the BSO continue to connect with audiences in new ways in the hope that the expanded online programming will continue to attract more people who will come see them in person when performances go live again.”
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