Andris Nelsons conducts a joint concert of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Germany’s Gewandhaus Orchestra at Boston’s Symphony Hall, October 2019. Photo: Elise Amendola
“The Boston Symphony Orchestra announced Monday it would cancel its [May 15-24] European tour to Vienna, Leipzig, Hamburg, and Paris,” writes Shaun Chaiyabhat in Monday’s (4/11) WCVB (Boston). The cancellation “is due to growing concerns over the recent rise in COVID-19 numbers in Europe and the United States, the BSO said. The symphony said 31 onstage musicians have been affected by the recent surge in COVID-19 cases. ‘Though this was a stark reminder that this highly transmissible coronavirus variant remains a tenacious reality, the entire organization is thankful that no severe cases have been reported among these musicians,’ a statement from the BSO said. ‘Given the ongoing presence of COVID, brought home by its unfortunate impact on a significant number of our own artists, we must keep as our first priority the health and safety of everyone involved with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Sadly, the only prudent and responsible course of action is, with deep regret, to cancel the European tour,’ said BSO President and CEO Gail Samuel. The BSO said it was concerned about the potential for travel disruption during a multi-city overseas tour. The BSO said all performers are required to be vaccinated and boosted.”
